Niamh McKenna and Paul O’Hara scrambled their way through the rugged streets of Providência, the oldest favela in Rio de Janeiro, built on a granite hump overlooking the city’s old port. Started in 1896, it is an impoverished community that lacks sanitation with people living in cramped homes in an area that is a no-go for the authorities. McKenna and O’Hara were able to pass armed men working for gangs that control the area because they were guided by a local community leader. They were there to see a playground supported by ChangeX, the technology platform they co-founded which connects…

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