The first time Guilherme Malaquias (@malaquiasgui) set foot in a favela he did not expect to find an elderly lady, nicknamed “Grandmother,” with a fridge full of water for thirsty visitors passing by. “Walking around the streets of the community, I received so many greetings and smiles,” recalls the 27-year-old photographer and architecture student of his visit to a shantytown, which he prefers to call a “community,” in his hometown of Salvador, Brazil. Nowadays, Guilherme is a regular in the community, volunteering and using photography as a tool to break down stereotypes and show others what life there is really like. “I noticed that this ‘new world’ had a lot to teach me,” he says, adding, “The photos are just an excuse to get close to people and the worlds that are far away from mine.” Photo by @malaquiasgui