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Acre comedian Rafael Barbosa is the protagonist of the most recent episode of the “Stories of Therapy” project, an initiative by Lucas Galdino and Alexandre Simone that aims to give a voice to Brazilians from different regions, highlighting their experiences and overcoming. The episode, produced in partnership with UNICEF, tells the story of Rafael and his daughter, Agatha, aged 6, showing how they experience the impacts of floods in the Baixada da Sobral neighborhood, in Rio Branco.
Every time it starts to rain, Agatha goes on alert: she puts away her toys, organizes her notebooks and separates her clothes. Water quickly enters the house where he lives with his father, and together they have already lost a stove, bed and closet in previous floods. Currently, they use stacked bricks to lift furniture and try to protect their belongings. Even so, they face long hours stuck at home, without electricity, without internet and, on days when the school is flooded, without classes.
Rafael Barbosa is an artistic reference in Baixada da Sobral/Photo: Reproduction
Tired of the recurring situation, Rafael began to use humor as a form of denunciation. His first video lampooning the floods went viral, making him an active voice in the community. Furthermore, he organized peaceful demonstrations to demand action from public authorities, even facing attacks and arrest during a protest, when the neighborhood flooded again.
Today, Rafael uses his social networks to show the reality of Baixada da Sobral, warning about environmental impacts, the authorities’ neglect and the lack of basic sanitation. In the midst of all this, he also teaches his daughter the importance of continuing to try and strive for improvement.
The full episode is available on the website historiasdeterapia.com and is part of the partnership between UNICEF Brazil and Histórias de Terapia, aimed at raising awareness about the effects of climate change on the lives of children and adolescents in the country.
