Shanty town on the Internet.

When Luis and Evelyn Puig told a British businessman about the drug trafficking problems in the favelas (shanty towns) of their city Rio de Janeiro, he said, `You must take computers into the favelas.' They thought this was crazy. What use would computers be to illiterate young people?

But to their surprise they found that the attraction of computers inspired the young people to learn to read.

The first two computers were sent from London to the Parque Vila Isabel favela by the businessman who made the suggestion, Bela Hatvany. A young Scotsman offered to take the equipment with him on his way to Rio. In Rio, Luis Puig was summoned to the customs office where he found the Scot standing a little lost in front of a row of customs officers who did not speak English.

Puig explained who the computers were for. `Where did you say this is going to?' one officer asked again. `To Dona Anna, favela Parque Vila Isabel, so that the young ones can learn a skill.' `You can go through,' said the officer, `I know Anna, I grew up in that favela.'

The people of the favela got together to erect a special cooler, airier little building in their community centre to house the equipment. Puig installed the first two computers (later on called `the dinosaurs').

From then on it was as if a golden thread kept leading on. Recognizing the honest efforts of the favela residents, the International Development Bank gave seven new computers. There was a condition attached to the gift: that the first class of students should pass their exams by the end of the year. The nearby State University helped by sending voluntary final year students to teach the favela youth who were willing to leave life on the streets for the chance to work for a better future. By the end of the year 67 young people from the favela had passed their computer exams.

Now an internet connection has been established and the young people are looking forward to having their own Vila Isabel home-page.

Simultaneously other initiatives have sprung up in Rio's favelas. One is directed by Roberto Baggio, which is beginning to get international recognition; another one is led by Father Leysing, an American Catholic priest, formerly director of Caritas. The latter initiative has received computers and printers through the government of the province of Alto Adige in Italy.