Now, he makes a living as a gamer.
Augusto, 23, was working in construction as a stonemason’s apprentice three years ago when his life took a turn.
An avid gamer, he got involved with AfroGames, a charitable project to give young people in Rio de Janeiro’s impoverished favela neighborhoods access to the multi-billion-dollar gaming industry.
The project gave him training and a grant to launch his own channel online, where he posts gaming content under the moniker of “AFG Sr Madruga” and plays a mean game of “Grand Theft Auto” live for his fans.
“I used to spend a good part of my salary playing at a LAN house [a gaming center or cyber cafe] here in the favela,” he said.