The Olympics is an obvious chance for varying cultures of the world to mingle and learn from one another. In the spirit of the Games, the Women’s Rubgy Sevens team from New Zealand entered into a cultural partnership with the people of the Mangueira favela in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where they were able to exchange their ideas, sports, and friendship.

As New Zealand’s own Newshub reported in Kiwi athletes give back to Rio:

“It’s an awesome experience,” said sevens star Portia Woodman. “We’ve been wanting to come out to these communities for a long time, and I guess these kids are just the same as us - they’ve got their sport that they love and that’s capoeira and we’re teaching them the sport that we love.”

You can read the full article and watch the video at Newshub.co.nz.

The official Rio 2016 website posted its own story, titled Rugby meets capoeira as New Zealand Olympic team begins partnership with favela community in Rio de Janeiro:

The principal idea behind the initiative is to create a two-way exchange. The New Zealanders will use sport to inspire youngsters in the underprivileged community, while the locals will share their culture with the visitors, enriching the experience of the athletes who come to compete at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.

Read the full article at Rio2016.com.