ActionAid's work ActionAid works with over 35,000 poor people in Brazil. Some of this work is about lobbying government to make sure people's rights and needs are met. Other work looks at the immediate problems facing groups of people and helps them develop ways to overcome those problems and improve their communities. I visited a project in Rio where ActionAid is running community centres. These are providing extra classes; play schools; meals for children; sports; gym and craft classes for women; women's meetings and health advice. The centres are vital because they keep children off the streets and so stop them getting involved in drugs and violence. 3,000 people in Rio are shot dead every year. They also provide somewhere for women to talk about shared concerns and plan for change.