The dissertation departs from the desire to investigate the action of international organizations and non-governmental organizations in slums (favelas), mainly in Rio de Janeiro. The discussion begins with the inquiry whether the kind of project used by these institutions in some communities is a good way to create the legitimacy necessary to bring solutions that respect the interests and point of view of locals. Based on this analysis, the research aims to establish the importance of the local as a subject responsible both for drafting and implementing their own projects through the shared construction between the local and the international. The study aims to understand the logic used in this type of action through both the theoretical and the practical way. After a literature review, the dissertation analyses three case studies: i) Platform for Urban Centers, from UNICEF ii) YouthBuild, from YouthBuild International in partnership with CEDAPS iii) Child Security Index, from the Igarapé Institute. Concluding, this research seeks to question the current top-down logic used in social projects.