The ongoing transformation of Rio de Janeiro's famous Santa Marta favela continued in August when 450 volunteers from the city took part in one of the biggest ever "Let's Colour" events to be staged by AkzoNobel's Decorative Paints business.

Organized as part of Rio's 450th anniversary celebrations, the volunteers made a huge contribution to a local project that first began in 2010 and is a living example of AkzoNobel's commitment to its Human Cities initiative.

So far, over 300 buildings in Santa Marta have been redecorated with more than 20,000 liters of Coral -AkzoNobel's paint brand in Brazil -helping to make the community more inspiring and vibrant for everyone who lives there.

"We're thrilled that so many volunteers joined us to help revitalize this amazing community," said Jaap Kuiper, Managing Director of AkzoNobel's Decorative Paints business in Latin America. "It's important that people feel proud of where they live, and with "Let's Colour" we're inspiring people to become more connected to their cities and communities."

As well as adding color to their homes, last weekend's "Let's Colour" event -promoted via the hashtag #Pintou450Rio -also involved working with Santa Marta residents to help them choose the right colors and offered training in how to properly apply paint. In addition, the company teamed up with local NGO Eu quero o Santa Marta Limpo to clean up the streets.

"Our global Human Cities initiative and the work we're doing in communities throughout Brazil are testament to how we're striving to make cities around the world more liveable," added Ruud Joosten, Member of the Executive Committee responsible for Decorative Paints. "It was great to see everyone get involved with such enthusiasm in Santa Marta, which is a perfect example of how lives can be transformed through color."     

Due to be completed before the start of the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio, the Santa Marta "Let's Colour" project will eventually involve painting more than 600 buildings with products from AkzoNobel's Coral range.

 To learn more about our "Let's Colour" projects and Human Cities initiative, visit: letscolourproject.com, akzonobel.com/humancities or coral.com.br/tudodecorparavoce.