Salvino Oliveira
Favela Youth Education & Access to Technology
About
Salvino grew up in Cidade de Deus, one of Rio de Janeiro’s most well-known favelas. To support his family, he sold water bottles and candies on the street while studying, and has since become a leading advocate for education, technology, and social justice for favela youth.
Work
Salvino co-founded PerifaConnection to amplify the voices of young people from the favelas and launched AfroEducando, which helps first-generation students enter university. As Rio’s first Secretary of Youth, Salvino created Youth Spaces – tech hubs built from repurposed containers that train hundreds of young people each month in robotics, programming, 3D printing, drones, DJing, and more. His ‘Pacto pela Juventude’, developed with UNESCO, reached more than 150,000 youth in 60 peripheral communities and favelas. Today, as a city councilor and chair of Rio’s Education Committee, Salvino continues to promote digital inclusion and opportunity.