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  • Pravesh Verma, 29, from the charity MASVAW, is smiling inside his home in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India. Pravesh grew up in a middle class family living in a small village where women had to stay in the house and cover their faces when young or just married. He never helped with anything at home; sometimes he and his brother used to beat their sister when she left home to be with her local friends. He used to insult girls using foul language. He had a girlfriend, an adult relationship, but nobody was to know. When his father found out, they had to break up. He later moved to Lucknow in 2001 to study philosophy, and in summer 2007 he attended his first MASVAW-workshop on gender equality. He was impressed and continued to visit those kind of workshops in the coming years. Pravesh began to change; he started to cook and clean on his own, opened up a banking account for his sister where he could deposit some money for her, he even asked his father to change some of his property to his mother's name. He now has a girlfriend named Pinki, 29, and they both met each other's parents. He would like to marry her, but she is still thinking about it. She lives close to Delhi, and they can only meet twice a month. He resides in Lucknow with his sister and his old grandmother, around 100 years old.
    Sexual_Violence_India_45.JPG
  • (name changed) Neelam Bharadwaj, 16, (second from right) is preparing some rice for cooking, while her older sister Sanju, 29, (right) is preparing a pot with water, inside their home in Rajbhar village, located around 20 kilometres away from Varanasi, in Uttar Pradesh, India. Sanju's children, Payel, 5, (second from left) and Prince Kumar, 3, (left) are sitting nearby. Neelam was raped when she was 13 years old. After walking to a local shop on the main road neighbouring her village, she was forcibly picked up by two men. While one of them was raping her in the bushes, the other watched out. After some time, she managed to free herself and run away, hiding under a bridge in cold dirty water for several hours. When she returned home in the morning, the family was too afraid to go to the police, but activist Mangla Parsad, 34, from PVCHR, convinced the family to take the right action. The police initially insulted and threatened the family for bringing the facts up, but filed the official case (FIR) nevertheless. The rape was not mentioned in the file due to an inaccurate and superficial medical record that did not, in fact, mention it. Because of social shame facing by victims of rape in India, the family agreed to wed Neelam to an older man, with help of an agent. After the marriage, her husband raped her again for a whole month before she decided to return home with her family. Neelam’s father works in the metal industry in Mumbai and manages to send around 2-3000 INR every month. He only visits the family once in a year. Neelam goes to school and she is studying in 11th Class Standard. She is interested in doing BA in Arts after completing her high school 12th final year.
    Sexual_Violence_India_42.JPG
  • Members of the Red Brigades are showing their martial arts skills on the streets of Madiyaw colony, Lucknow District, Uttar Pradesh. The Red Brigades are a group of young women led by Usha, 25, who after an attempted rape began talking about abuse with her students, aged around 14 to 18 years old. Usha founded the Red Brigades in November 2010. They act in self-written plays on gender equality around villages and cities, take part to protests and also teach self-defence classes. Most of the girls in the group have experienced some kind of abuse in their past. They sing words such as "all sisters are breaking all the rules, boundaries, come to bring a new world, change will come," and "for how long do we have to go through this?" and "the country has freedom, but girls do not have freedom."
    Sexual_Violence_India_38.JPG
  • A lone woman is crossing a small fence near a railway crossing on the outskirts of Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India.
    Sexual_Violence_India_32.JPG
  • (name changed) Kanchan Kumari Sharma, 12, is standing by the entrance of her home in Sersiya Kekrahi village, Varanasi District, Uttar Pradesh, India. In 2012, Kanchan went with a friend to bring lunch to her father, around 2 km away from her home. On the way they met Rajesh (rapist) and Ashok, a friend of his. Both girls were picked up on the spot using an excuse. Ashok drove Kanchan's friend home, but Rajesh forced Kanchan to travel with him during six days and for hundreds of kilometres across different states. (Mirzapur / Chennai / Itarsi / Bhusawal) He raped her once behind the station in Itarsi. With great effort and some coincidence, the uncle of Kanchan managed to bring her back home. Although she was scared, she insisted on going to the police to file a case (FIR). She was kept at the police station for 12 days and threatened to prevent her from filing an official case. Ashok and Rajesh are from higher caste and wealthy families. While Rajesh spent 24 days in jail initially in summer 2012, he is now a free man while the trial is still going on. Kanchan's family is now struggling to put together 30.000 Indian Rupees (500 USD) to continue battling for justice in court.
    Sexual_Violence_India_31.JPG
  • (name changed) Neelam Bharadwaj, 16, is standing among some clothes inside her family’s home in Rajbhar village, located around 20 kilometres away from Varanasi, in Uttar Pradesh, India. Neelam was raped when she was 13 years old. After walking to a local shop on the main road neighbouring her village, she was forcibly picked up by two men. While one of them was raping her in the bushes, the other watched out. After some time, she managed to free herself and run away, hiding under a bridge in cold dirty water for several hours. When she returned home in the morning, the family was too afraid to go to the police, but activist Mangla Parsad, 34, from PVCHR, convinced the family to take the right action. The police initially insulted and threatened the family for bringing the facts up, but filed the official case (FIR) nevertheless. The rape was not mentioned in the file due to an inaccurate and superficial medical record that did not, in fact, mention it. Because of social shame facing by victims of rape in India, the family agreed to wed Neelam to an older man, with help of an agent. After the marriage, her husband raped her again for a whole month before she decided to return home with her family. Neelam’s father works in the metal industry in Mumbai and manages to send around 2-3000 INR every month. He only visits the family once in a year. Neelam goes to school and she is studying in 11th Class Standard. She is interested in doing BA in Arts after completing her high school 12th final year.
    Sexual_Violence_India_08.JPG
  • Members of the Red Brigades are performing in a street play promoting awareness about women’s condition in India, on the streets of Madiyaw colony, Lucknow District, Uttar Pradesh. The Red Brigades are a group of young women led by Usha, 25, who after an attempted rape began talking about abuse with her students, aged around 14 to 18 years old. Usha founded the Red Brigades in November 2010. They act in self-written plays on gender equality around villages and cities, take part to protests and also teach self-defence classes. Most of the girls in the group have experienced some kind of abuse in their past. They sing words such as "all sisters are breaking all the rules, boundaries, come to bring a new world, change will come," and "for how long do we have to go through this?" and "the country has freedom, but girls do not have freedom."
    Sexual_Violence_India_07.JPG
  • Afreen, 17, a member of the Red Brigades, is crying during a street play promoting awareness about women’s condition in India, on the streets of Madiyaw colony, Lucknow District, Uttar Pradesh. The Red Brigades are a group of young women led by Usha, 25, who after an attempted rape began talking about abuse with her students, aged around 14 to 18 years old. Usha founded the Red Brigades in November 2010. They perform in self-written plays on gender equality around villages and cities, take part to protests and also teach self-defence classes. Most of the girls in the group have experienced some kind of abuse in their past. They sing words such as "all sisters are breaking all the rules, boundaries, come to bring a new world, change will come," and "for how long do we have to go through this?" and "the country has freedom, but girls do not have freedom."
    Sexual_Violence_India_05.JPG
  • (name changed) Kanchan Kumari Sharma, 12, is sitting insider her home in Sersiya Kekrahi village, Varanasi District, Uttar Pradesh, India. In 2012, Kanchan went with a friend to bring lunch to her father, around 2 km away from her home. On the way they met Rajesh (rapist) and Ashok, a friend of his. Both girls were picked up on the spot using an excuse. Ashok drove Kanchan's friend home, but Rajesh forced Kanchan to travel with him during six days and for hundreds of kilometres across different states. (Mirzapur / Chennai / Itarsi / Bhusawal) He raped her once behind the station in Itarsi. With great effort and some coincidence, the uncle of Kanchan managed to bring her back home. Although she was scared, she insisted on going to the police to file a case (FIR). She was kept at the police station for 12 days and threatened to prevent her from filing an official case. Ashok and Rajesh are from higher caste and wealthy families. While Rajesh spent 24 days in jail initially in summer 2012, he is now a free man while the trial is still going on. Kanchan's family is now struggling to put together 30.000 Indian Rupees (500 USD) to continue battling for justice in court.
    Sexual_Violence_India_04.JPG
  • Indian men are walking next to provoking Pepsi advertisement starring Bollywood celebrity Priyanka Chopra, on the streets of Lucknow, the state capital of Uttar Pradesh, India.
    Sexual_Violence_India_02.JPG
  • (name changed) Kanchan Kumari Sharma, 12, is standing insider her home in Sersiya Kekrahi village, Varanasi District, Uttar Pradesh, India. In 2012, Kanchan went with a friend to bring lunch to her father, around 2 km away from her home. On the way they met Rajesh (rapist) and Ashok, a friend of his. Both girls were picked up on the spot using an excuse. Ashok drove Kanchan's friend home, but Rajesh forced Kanchan to travel with him during six days and for hundreds of kilometres across different states. (Mirzapur / Chennai / Itarsi / Bhusawal) He raped her once behind the station in Itarsi. With great effort and some coincidence, the uncle of Kanchan managed to bring her back home. Although she was scared, she insisted on going to the police to file a case (FIR). She was kept at the police station for 12 days and threatened to prevent her from filing an official case. Ashok and Rajesh are from higher caste and wealthy families. While Rajesh spent 24 days in jail initially in summer 2012, he is now a free man while the trial is still going on. Kanchan's family is now struggling to put together 30.000 Indian Rupees (500 USD) to continue battling for justice in court.
    Sexual_Violence_India_01.JPG
  • The young nephew of Dr Lenin Raghuvanshi is standing near a Welcome sigh inside the PVCHR headquarters in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India. Lenin's grandfather was a freedom fighter in India's fight against the British. His father was a communist, so he names all of his children after famous communists: Mao, Che Guevara, Stalin, Lenin and Raul. Lenin used to be a doctor in Ayurveda and modern medicine but quit because of the inherent corruption he witnessed. He founded PVCHR in 1996. The charity organises workshops, supports victims during trial and with the police, and promotes education and gender equality.
    Sexual_Violence_India_44.JPG
  • Dr Lenin Raghuvanshi, (left) and her wife (right) are listening to some of their collaborators at the PVCHR headquarters in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India. Lenin's grandfather was a freedom fighter in India's fight against the British. His father was a communist, so he names all of his children after famous communists: Mao, Che Guevara, Stalin, Lenin and Raul. Lenin used to be a doctor in Ayurveda and modern medicine but quit because of the inherent corruption he witnessed. He founded PVCHR in 1996. The charity organises workshops, supports victims during trial and with the police, and promotes education and gender equality.
    Sexual_Violence_India_43.JPG
  • In the early morning, a lone boy is standing by Hindu writing on a wall near Sersiya Kekrahi village, Varanasi District, Uttar Pradesh, India. In 2012, Kanchan (name changed) went with a friend to bring lunch to her father, around 2 km away from her home. On the way they met Rajesh (rapist) and Ashok, a friend of his. Both girls were picked up on the spot using an excuse. Ashok drove Kanchan's friend home, but Rajesh forced Kanchan to travel with him during six days and for hundreds of kilometres across different states. (Mirzapur / Chennai / Itarsi / Bhusawal) He raped her once behind the station in Itarsi. With great effort and some coincidence, the uncle of Kanchan managed to bring her back home. Although she was scared, she insisted on going to the police to file a case (FIR). She was kept at the police station for 12 days and threatened to prevent her from filing an official case. Ashok and Rajesh are from higher caste and wealthy families. While Rajesh spent 24 days in jail initially in summer 2012, he is now a free man while the trial is still going on. Kanchan's family is now struggling to put together 30.000 Indian Rupees (500 USD) to continue battling for justice in court.
    Sexual_Violence_India_41.JPG
  • Young women are taking part to an awareness workshop organised by Neeta Shani, from the charity PVCHR, in Parmandapur, a rural area near Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India. The girls are painting pro-women slogans on the walls of the local Panchayat, or village council.
    Sexual_Violence_India_40.JPG
  • PVCHR activist Mangla Parsad, 34, is talking to villagers in Rajbhar village, around 20 kilometres from Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India.
    Sexual_Violence_India_39.JPG
  • In the early morning, men are standing around the roads of Sersiya Kekrahi village, Varanasi District, Uttar Pradesh, India, where Kanchan Kumari Sharma, 12, (name changed) resides with her family. In 2012, Kanchan went with a friend to bring lunch to her father, around 2 km away from her home. On the way they met Rajesh (rapist) and Ashok, a friend of his. Both girls were picked up on the spot using an excuse. Ashok drove Kanchan's friend home, but Rajesh forced Kanchan to travel with him during six days and for hundreds of kilometres across different states. (Mirzapur / Chennai / Itarsi / Bhusawal) He raped her once behind the station in Itarsi. With great effort and some coincidence, the uncle of Kanchan managed to bring her back home. Although she was scared, she insisted on going to the police to file a case (FIR). She was kept at the police station for 12 days and threatened to prevent her from filing an official case. Ashok and Rajesh are from higher caste and wealthy families. While Rajesh spent 24 days in jail initially in summer 2012, he is now a free man while the trial is still going on. Kanchan's family is now struggling to put together 30.000 Indian Rupees (500 USD) to continue battling for justice in court.
    Sexual_Violence_India_36.JPG
  • Schoolgirls in uniform are waiting for a rickshaw on the streets of Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India.
    Sexual_Violence_India_37.JPG
  • People are passing by a capsized Tata truck on a rural road outside of Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India.
    Sexual_Violence_India_35.JPG
  • (name changed) Neelam Bharadwaj, 16, is preparing some rice for cooking while sitting inside her family’s home in Rajbhar village, located around 20 kilometres away from Varanasi, in Uttar Pradesh, India. Neelam was raped when she was 13 years old. After walking to a local shop on the main road neighbouring her village, she was forcibly picked up by two men. While one of them was raping her in the bushes, the other watched out. After some time, she managed to free herself and run away, hiding under a bridge in cold dirty water for several hours. When she returned home in the morning, the family was too afraid to go to the police, but activist Mangla Parsad, 34, from PVCHR, convinced the family to take the right action. The police initially insulted and threatened the family for bringing the facts up, but filed the official case (FIR) nevertheless. The rape was not mentioned in the file due to an inaccurate and superficial medical record that did not, in fact, mention it. Because of social shame facing by victims of rape in India, the family agreed to wed Neelam to an older man, with help of an agent. After the marriage, her husband raped her again for a whole month before she decided to return home with her family. Neelam’s father works in the metal industry in Mumbai and manages to send around 2-3000 INR every month. He only visits the family once in a year. Neelam goes to school and she is studying in 11th Class Standard. She is interested in doing BA in Arts after completing her high school 12th final year.
    Sexual_Violence_India_34.JPG
  • A boy is walking on the small bridge near Rajbhar village, under which Neelam Bharadwaj, 16,(name changed) has been hiding a whole night during her ordeal, while trying to escape from her attackers, around 20 kilometres away from Varanasi, in Uttar Pradesh, India. Neelam was raped when she was 13 years old. After walking to a local shop on the main road neighbouring her village, she was forcibly picked up by two men. While one of them was raping her in the bushes, the other watched out. After some time, she managed to free herself and run away, hiding under a bridge in cold dirty water for several hours. When she returned home in the morning, the family was too afraid to go to the police, but activist Mangla Parsad, 34, from PVCHR, convinced the family to take the right action. The police initially insulted and threatened the family for bringing the facts up, but filed the official case (FIR) nevertheless. The rape was not mentioned in the file due to an inaccurate and superficial medical record that did not, in fact, mention it. Because of social shame facing by victims of rape in India, the family agreed to wed Neelam to an older man, with help of an agent. After the marriage, her husband raped her again for a whole month before she decided to return home with her family. Neelam’s father works in the metal industry in Mumbai and manages to send around 2-3000 INR every month. He only visits the family once in a year. Neelam goes to school and she is studying in 11th Class Standard. She is interested in doing BA in Arts after completing her high school 12th final year.
    Sexual_Violence_India_33.JPG
  • Neeta Shani, (centre) is speaking at an awareness workshop or youngsters organised by the charity PVCHR, in Parmandapur, a rural area near Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India.
    Sexual_Violence_India_30.JPG
  • A young girl and other women are walking near a fruit vendor on the roads of Madiyaw colony, Lucknow District, Uttar Pradesh.
    Sexual_Violence_India_29.JPG
  • (name changed) Neelam Bharadwaj, 16, (right) is preparing some rice for cooking while sitting inside her family’s home in Rajbhar village, located around 20 kilometres away from Varanasi, in Uttar Pradesh, India. Neelam was raped when she was 13 years old. After walking to a local shop on the main road neighbouring her village, she was forcibly picked up by two men. While one of them was raping her in the bushes, the other watched out. After some time, she managed to free herself and run away, hiding under a bridge in cold dirty water for several hours. When she returned home in the morning, the family was too afraid to go to the police, but activist Mangla Parsad, 34, from PVCHR, convinced the family to take the right action. The police initially insulted and threatened the family for bringing the facts up, but filed the official case (FIR) nevertheless. The rape was not mentioned in the file due to an inaccurate and superficial medical record that did not, in fact, mention it. Because of social shame facing by victims of rape in India, the family agreed to wed Neelam to an older man, with help of an agent. After the marriage, her husband raped her again for a whole month before she decided to return home with her family. Neelam’s father works in the metal industry in Mumbai and manages to send around 2-3000 INR every month. He only visits the family once in a year. Neelam goes to school and she is studying in 11th Class Standard. She is interested in doing BA in Arts after completing her high school 12th final year.
    Sexual_Violence_India_28.JPG
  • Under the heavy rain, a boy is sitting inside a rickshaw passing though a busy street of Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India.
    Sexual_Violence_India_27.JPG
  • A young boy (right) and a man (left) and facing each other on a road inside Rajbhar village, where Neelam Bharadwaj, 16, (name changed) resides with her family, around 20 kilometres away from Varanasi, in Uttar Pradesh, India. Neelam was raped when she was 13 years old. After walking to a local shop on the main road neighbouring her village, she was forcibly picked up by two men. While one of them was raping her in the bushes, the other watched out. After some time, she managed to free herself and run away, hiding under a bridge in cold dirty water for several hours. When she returned home in the morning, the family was too afraid to go to the police, but activist Mangla Parsad, 34, from PVCHR, convinced the family to take the right action. The police initially insulted and threatened the family for bringing the facts up, but filed the official case (FIR) nevertheless. The rape was not mentioned in the file due to an inaccurate and superficial medical record that did not, in fact, mention it. Because of social shame facing by victims of rape in India, the family agreed to wed Neelam to an older man, with help of an agent. After the marriage, her husband raped her again for a whole month before she decided to return home with her family. Neelam’s father works in the metal industry in Mumbai and manages to send around 2-3000 INR every month. He only visits the family once in a year. Neelam goes to school and she is studying in 11th Class Standard. She is interested in doing BA in Arts after completing her high school 12th final year.
    Sexual_Violence_India_26.JPG
  • Young women are taking part to an awareness workshop organised by Neeta Shani, from the charity PVCHR, in Parmandapur, a rural area near Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India. The girls are painting pro-women slogans on the walls of the local Panchayat, or village council.
    Sexual_Violence_India_25.JPG
  • Members of the Red Brigades are showing their martial arts skills on the streets of Madiyaw colony, Lucknow District, Uttar Pradesh. The Red Brigades are a group of young women led by Usha, 25, who after an attempted rape began talking about abuse with her students, aged around 14 to 18 years old. Usha founded the Red Brigades in November 2010. They act in self-written plays on gender equality around villages and cities, take part to protests and also teach self-defence classes. Most of the girls in the group have experienced some kind of abuse in their past. They sing words such as "all sisters are breaking all the rules, boundaries, come to bring a new world, change will come," and "for how long do we have to go through this?" and "the country has freedom, but girls do not have freedom."
    Sexual_Violence_India_24.JPG
  • Boys are playing arcade video games on the roads of Madiyaw colony, Lucknow District, Uttar Pradesh.
    Sexual_Violence_India_23.JPG
  • Kanchan Kumari Sharma, 12, (centre) is taking care of her young niece, while sitting next to her father, Raja Kumar Sharma, 45, (left) inside their home in Sersiya Kekrahi village, Varanasi District, Uttar Pradesh, India. In 2012, Kanchan went with a friend to bring lunch to her father, around 2 km away from her home. On the way they met Rajesh (rapist) and Ashok, a friend of his. Both girls were picked up on the spot using an excuse. Ashok drove Kanchan's friend home, but Rajesh forced Kanchan to travel with him during six days and for hundreds of kilometres across different states. (Mirzapur / Chennai / Itarsi / Bhusawal) He raped her once behind the station in Itarsi. With great effort and some coincidence, the uncle of Kanchan managed to bring her back home. Although she was scared, she insisted on going to the police to file a case (FIR). She was kept at the police station for 12 days and threatened to prevent her from filing an official case. Ashok and Rajesh are from higher caste and wealthy families. While Rajesh spent 24 days in jail initially in summer 2012, he is now a free man while the trial is still going on. Kanchan's family is now struggling to put together 30.000 Indian Rupees (500 USD) to continue battling for justice in court.
    Sexual_Violence_India_22.JPG
  • A woman and her two children are sitting next to a field in the rural area outside of Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India.
    Sexual_Violence_India_21.JPG
  • (name changed) Neelam Bharadwaj, 16, (right) is standing inside her family’s home in Rajbhar village, located around 20 kilometres away from Varanasi, in Uttar Pradesh, India, while her older sister Sanju, 29, (left) is cooking. Neelam was raped when she was 13 years old. After walking to a local shop on the main road neighbouring her village, she was forcibly picked up by two men. While one of them was raping her in the bushes, the other watched out. After some time, she managed to free herself and run away, hiding under a bridge in cold dirty water for several hours. When she returned home in the morning, the family was too afraid to go to the police, but activist Mangla Parsad, 34, from PVCHR, convinced the family to take the right action. The police initially insulted and threatened the family for bringing the facts up, but filed the official case (FIR) nevertheless. The rape was not mentioned in the file due to an inaccurate and superficial medical record that did not, in fact, mention it. Because of social shame facing by victims of rape in India, the family agreed to wed Neelam to an older man, with help of an agent. After the marriage, her husband raped her again for a whole month before she decided to return home with her family. Neelam’s father works in the metal industry in Mumbai and manages to send around 2-3000 INR every month. He only visits the family once in a year. Neelam goes to school and she is studying in 11th Class Standard. She is interested in doing BA in Arts after completing her high school 12th final year.
    Sexual_Violence_India_20.JPG
  • Children are taking part to an awareness workshop organised by Neeta Shani, from the charity PVCHR, in Parmandapur, a rural area near Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India.
    Sexual_Violence_India_19.JPG
  • Children are taking part to an awareness workshop organised by Neeta Shani, from the charity PVCHR, in Parmandapur, a rural area near Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India.
    Sexual_Violence_India_18.JPG
  • Two young children are enjoying a moment together while their parents are walking around Rajbhar village, where Neelam Bharadwaj, 16, (name changed) resides with her family, around 20 kilometres away from Varanasi, in Uttar Pradesh, India. Neelam was raped when she was 13 years old. After walking to a local shop on the main road neighbouring her village, she was forcibly picked up by two men. While one of them was raping her in the bushes, the other watched out. After some time, she managed to free herself and run away, hiding under a bridge in cold dirty water for several hours. When she returned home in the morning, the family was too afraid to go to the police, but activist Mangla Parsad, 34, from PVCHR, convinced the family to take the right action. The police initially insulted and threatened the family for bringing the facts up, but filed the official case (FIR) nevertheless. The rape was not mentioned in the file due to an inaccurate and superficial medical record that did not, in fact, mention it. Because of social shame facing by victims of rape in India, the family agreed to wed Neelam to an older man, with help of an agent. After the marriage, her husband raped her again for a whole month before she decided to return home with her family. Neelam’s father works in the metal industry in Mumbai and manages to send around 2-3000 INR every month. He only visits the family once in a year. Neelam goes to school and she is studying in 11th Class Standard. She is interested in doing BA in Arts after completing her high school 12th final year.
    Sexual_Violence_India_17.JPG
  • The father of Kanchan Kumari Sharma, 12, (name changed) Raja Kumar Sharma, 45, (left) a barber, earning around 150 INR a day, (3 USD) is sitting with his brother-in-law, Santosh Kumar, Verma, 42, a small businessman dealing in rice and wheat. With them are Kanchan’s eldest brother Avesh Sharma, 24 (second from right) and her older one, Ashok Sharma, 19. (second from left) In 2012, Kanchan went with a friend to bring lunch to her father, around 2 km away from her home. On the way they met Rajesh (rapist) and Ashok, a friend of his. Both girls were picked up on the spot using an excuse. Ashok drove Kanchan's friend home, but Rajesh forced Kanchan to travel with him during six days and for hundreds of kilometres across different states. (Mirzapur / Chennai / Itarsi / Bhusawal) He raped her once behind the station in Itarsi. With great effort and some coincidence, the uncle of Kanchan managed to bring her back home. Although she was scared, she insisted on going to the police to file a case (FIR). She was kept at the police station for 12 days and threatened to prevent her from filing an official case. Ashok and Rajesh are from higher caste and wealthy families. While Rajesh spent 24 days in jail initially in summer 2012, he is now a free man while the trial is still going on. Kanchan's family is now struggling to put together 30.000 Indian Rupees (500 USD) to continue battling for justice in court.
    Sexual_Violence_India_16.JPG
  • Villagers are passing by a billboard advertisement boasting a sexy model on heels, on a rural road outside of Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India.
    Sexual_Violence_India_15.JPG
  • (name changed) Neelam Bharadwaj, 16, is standing inside her family’s home in Rajbhar village, located around 20 kilometres away from Varanasi, in Uttar Pradesh, India. Neelam was raped when she was 13 years old. After walking to a local shop on the main road neighbouring her village, she was forcibly picked up by two men. While one of them was raping her in the bushes, the other watched out. After some time, she managed to free herself and run away, hiding under a bridge in cold dirty water for several hours. When she returned home in the morning, the family was too afraid to go to the police, but activist Mangla Parsad, 34, from PVCHR, convinced the family to take the right action. The police initially insulted and threatened the family for bringing the facts up, but filed the official case (FIR) nevertheless. The rape was not mentioned in the file due to an inaccurate and superficial medical record that did not, in fact, mention it. Because of social shame facing by victims of rape in India, the family agreed to wed Neelam to an older man, with help of an agent. After the marriage, her husband raped her again for a whole month before she decided to return home with her family. Neelam’s father works in the metal industry in Mumbai and manages to send around 2-3000 INR every month. He only visits the family once in a year. Neelam goes to school and she is studying in 11th Class Standard. She is interested in doing BA in Arts after completing her high school 12th final year.
    Sexual_Violence_India_14.JPG
  • The older sister of Neelam Bharadwaj, 16, (name changed) Sanju, 29, is carrying her youngest son, Prince Kumar, 3, while inside her family’s home in Rajbhar village, located around 20 kilometres away from Varanasi, in Uttar Pradesh, India. Neelam was raped when she was 13 years old. After walking to a local shop on the main road neighbouring her village, she was forcibly picked up by two men. While one of them was raping her in the bushes, the other watched out. After some time, she managed to free herself and run away, hiding under a bridge in cold dirty water for several hours. When she returned home in the morning, the family was too afraid to go to the police, but activist Mangla Parsad, 34, from PVCHR, convinced the family to take the right action. The police initially insulted and threatened the family for bringing the facts up, but filed the official case (FIR) nevertheless. The rape was not mentioned in the file due to an inaccurate and superficial medical record that did not, in fact, mention it. Because of social shame facing by victims of rape in India, the family agreed to wed Neelam to an older man, with help of an agent. After the marriage, her husband raped her again for a whole month before she decided to return home with her family. Neelam’s father works in the metal industry in Mumbai and manages to send around 2-3000 INR every month. He only visits the family once in a year. Neelam goes to school and she is studying in 11th Class Standard. She is interested in doing BA in Arts after completing her high school 12th final year.
    Sexual_Violence_India_13.JPG
  • Usha, 25, (left) and two other members of the Red Brigades are sitting inside Usha’s home in Madiyaw colony, Lucknow District, Uttar Pradesh. The Red Brigades are a group of young women led by Usha, 25, who after an attempted rape began talking about abuse with her students, aged around 14 to 18 years old. Usha founded the Red Brigades in November 2010. They act in self-written plays on gender equality around villages and cities, take part to protests and also teach self-defence classes. Most of the girls in the group have experienced some kind of abuse in their past. They sing words such as "all sisters are breaking all the rules, boundaries, come to bring a new world, change will come," and "for how long do we have to go through this?" and "the country has freedom, but girls do not have freedom."
    Sexual_Violence_India_12.JPG
  • (name changed) Kanchan Kumari Sharma, 12, sick with fever, is lying next to her mother, Malti Devi, 40, inside their home in Sersiya Kekrahi village, Varanasi District, Uttar Pradesh, India. In 2012, Kanchan went with a friend to bring lunch to her father, around 2 km away from her home. On the way they met Rajesh (rapist) and Ashok, a friend of his. Both girls were picked up on the spot using an excuse. Ashok drove Kanchan's friend home, but Rajesh forced Kanchan to travel with him during six days and for hundreds of kilometres across different states. (Mirzapur / Chennai / Itarsi / Bhusawal) He raped her once behind the station in Itarsi. With great effort and some coincidence, the uncle of Kanchan managed to bring her back home. Although she was scared, she insisted on going to the police to file a case (FIR). She was kept at the police station for 12 days and threatened to prevent her from filing an official case. Ashok and Rajesh are from higher caste and wealthy families. While Rajesh spent 24 days in jail initially in summer 2012, he is now a free man while the trial is still going on. Kanchan's family is now struggling to put together 30.000 Indian Rupees (500 USD) to continue battling for justice in court.
    Sexual_Violence_India_11.JPG
  • Afreen, 17, a member of the Red Brigades, is performing during a street play promoting awareness about women’s condition in India, on the streets of Madiyaw colony, Lucknow District, Uttar Pradesh. The Red Brigades are a group of young women led by Usha, 25, who after an attempted rape began talking about abuse with her students, aged around 14 to 18 years old. Usha founded the Red Brigades in November 2010. They perform in self-written plays on gender equality around villages and cities, take part to protests and also teach self-defence classes. Most of the girls in the group have experienced some kind of abuse in their past. They sing words such as "all sisters are breaking all the rules, boundaries, come to bring a new world, change will come," and "for how long do we have to go through this?" and "the country has freedom, but girls do not have freedom."
    Sexual_Violence_India_10.JPG
  • Prema, 60, the mother of Neelam, 16, is expressing suffering and struggles to Mangla Prasad, 34, the activist of PVCHR who helped the family after Neelam’s sexual abuse, in Rajbhar village, located around 20 kilometres away from Varanasi, in Uttar Pradesh, India. Neelam was raped when she was 13 years old. After walking to a local shop on the main road neighbouring her village, she was forcibly picked up by two men. While one of them was raping her in the bushes, the other watched out. After some time, she managed to free herself and run away, hiding under a bridge in cold dirty water for several hours. When she returned home in the morning, the family was too afraid to go to the police, but activist Mangla Parsad, 34, from PVCHR, convinced the family to take the right action. The police initially insulted and threatened the family for bringing the facts up, but filed the official case (FIR) nevertheless. The rape was not mentioned in the file due to an inaccurate and superficial medical record that did not, in fact, mention it. Because of social shame facing by victims of rape in India, the family agreed to wed Neelam to an older man, with help of an agent. After the marriage, her husband raped her again for a whole month before she decided to return home with her family. Neelam’s father works in the metal industry in Mumbai and manages to send around 2-3000 INR every month. He only visits the family once in a year. Neelam goes to school and she is studying in 11th Class Standard. She is interested in doing BA in Arts after completing her high school 12th final year.
    Sexual_Violence_India_09.JPG
  • Geeta, (right) around 40 years old, is recounting how her younger daughter Radhika, 4, was kidnapped, raped and murdered on July 7th-8th, while her other daughter, Poonam, 8, (left) is sitting next to her, on a road inside Pakkatalab colony, in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. Radhika was kidnapped out of the family’s house, nobody noticed. Her mother, Geeta, woke up at around 2am on July 8th and went searching for her younger daughter. She also went to the police, but they didn't do anything to help finding the girl. Geeta found her girl on the street, already dead. According to ‘The Times of India’, around 60 wounds were found on the girl’s body. Instead of filing an official case, (FIR) the police told the mother that street dogs had killed her child. The post-mortem examination showed differently, and also proved that Radhika was raped. After some street demonstrations, the two police officers involved were suspended, and the police have now started searching for evidence. A destitute woman, Geeta makes and sells stones that are used as a flat base where to shred and chip vegetables. Her husband, Raju, died 3 years ago.
    Sexual_Violence_India_06.JPG
  • Malti Devi, 40, a housewife and the mother of Kanchan Kumari Sharma, 12, (name changed)  is covering her head with a pink sari while standing in front of their home in Sersiya Kekrahi village, Varanasi District, Uttar Pradesh, India. In 2012, Kanchan went with a friend to bring lunch to her father, around 2 km away from her home. On the way they met Rajesh (rapist) and Ashok, a friend of his. Both girls were picked up on the spot using an excuse. Ashok drove Kanchan's friend home, but Rajesh forced Kanchan to travel with him during six days and for hundreds of kilometres across different states. (Mirzapur / Chennai / Itarsi / Bhusawal) He raped her once behind the station in Itarsi. With great effort and some coincidence, the uncle of Kanchan managed to bring her back home. Although she was scared, she insisted on going to the police to file a case (FIR). She was kept at the police station for 12 days and threatened to prevent her from filing an official case. Ashok and Rajesh are from higher caste and wealthy families. While Rajesh spent 24 days in jail initially in summer 2012, he is now a free man while the trial is still going on. Kanchan's family is now struggling to put together 30.000 Indian Rupees (500 USD) to continue battling for justice in court.
    Sexual_Violence_India_03.JPG
  • Elisabeth, 62, a woman living in the area of Heideveld, Cape Town, RSA, since about 40 years is scared to go out even during the day because of street gun-fight. She runs a little vegetable shop with her husband, Thomas, 64, in their house. She is portrayed while behind the gate of her house in Heideveld. They acknowledge the fact that thanks to the large police station not far from their house thing are slowly getting better, but also that law enforcement is probably not the right long-term way to curb crime, gangs and drug addiction. They favour development and education for the kids but till now the government of South Africa has promoted a effectual policy towards the area of Heideveld. Police incapacity to control the gang problem has also led to the increase of vigilante groups activity, people that feeling threatened to live in their own community has engaged a fight to the gangs on their own, often creating more hatred and dissent. With extremely high rates of unemployment, poor resources and too little authority control, ghettos as Heideveld are the best places for gangs to grow in activity and businesses. Targeting mostly young people from their area to carry on the 'dirty job', gangs in the Western Cape, and South Africa are an endemic problem in continuous increase in the years after the radical apartheid governmental system. 'Coloured' communities have lost almost all their help from a government that now is concentrated on empowering black communities instead. Segregated into ghettos and without state grants or development activities, people in these community are sometimes forced to join a gang or dealing drugs also to provide for their own family.
    Marvin_Gangster_Redemption_17.JPG
  • Crystal Meth (aka 'tik'), an highly addictive chemical drug commonly used in impoverished neighbourhoods in the Western Cape, RSA. Meth is becoming increasingly popular amongst schoolchildren and it is not difficult to find kids as young as 12 with addiction. Statistics say that over a six month period, 94% of Meth users become addicted to it. Meth gives psychotic effects such as seeing or hearing things that are not there, and it is incline to induce violent behaviour. Meth is common between gang members, it is ideal to prepare a gun-man to hit, removing inhibitions, sharpening senses and fuelling aggression. It is easily smoked in pipes or bulbs, and it does not require a laboratory to be produced: in fact, having the right substances, it can be made even in a kitchen. High availability together with the really cheap price of 30-40 Rands per straw ( about 3-4 UK pounds) is helping to increase the abuse of this dangerous substance. Dealing Meth is also a very lucrative business which can turn a 2000 Rands (200 UK pounds) investment into 5000 Rands (500 UK pounds) in a short time. Tolerance develops quickly and higher doses are soon needed to obtain the same effect on the body. Chronic abuse can lead to out-of-control rages, violence, anxiety, confusion and mood disturbances. Meth affects many parts of the central neurous system and if prolonged it does not only affects behaviour but literally changes the brain in fundamental and longstanding ways.
    Marvin_Gangster_Redemption_09.JPG
  • A dealer is making portions of Crystal Meth (aka 'tik'), an highly addictive chemical drug commonly used in impoverished neighbourhoods in the Western Cape, RSA. Serc, 26 years old, and member of a gang in Heideveld, was shot twice in front of his house by rival gangsters. He has a wife, awaiting a third child, and two young children; with the growing unemployment in the area it has been impossible for him to provide for his family, joined a gang and started selling drugs. He is the 'main guy' in the neighbourhood and people go to him if they have a problem. "If I could find a reasonable job I would definitely quit, I know all this is not good, and it is harming our very community, but now I have to go on, I have no alternative" he says. Meth is becoming increasingly popular amongst schoolchildren and it is not difficult to find kids as young as 12 with addiction. Statistics say that over a six-month period, 94% of Meth users become addicted to it. Meth gives psychotic effects such as seeing or hearing things that are not there, and it is incline to induce violent behaviour. Meth is common between gang members, it is ideal to prepare a gun-man to hit, removing inhibitions, sharpening senses and fuelling aggression. It is easily smoked in pipes or bulbs, and it does not require a laboratory to be produced: in fact, having the right substances, it can be made even in a kitchen. High availability together with the really cheap price of 30-40 Rands per straw ( about 3-4 UK pounds) is helping to increase the abuse of this dangerous substance. Dealing Meth is also a very lucrative business which can turn a 2000 Rands (200 UK pounds) investment into 5000 Rands (500 UK pounds) in a short time. Tolerance develops quickly and higher doses are soon needed to obtain the same effect on the body.
    Marvin_Gangster_Redemption_10.JPG
  • Youngsters on the streets of the impoverished neighbourhood of Heideveld, Cape Town, RSA. Here in front of their house. (Marvin in the middle and former gangster Fuad on the right). Being in so close contact with members of gangs and criminal activity, youngsters are those who are most tempted to join a gang, which most of the time is also probably composed by friends and others living in the community. Making errands or favours to gang members is also common to the younger kids (?wannabes?) in these areas which are lured by the apparently easy gains deriving from the activity.  With extremely high rates of unemployment, poor resources and too little authority control, ghettos as Heideveld are the best places for gangs to grow in activity and businesses. Targeting mostly young people from their area to carry on the ?dirty job?, gangs in the Western Cape, and South Africa are an endemic problem in continuous increase in the years after the radical apartheid governmental system. ?Coloured? communities have lost almost all their help from a government that now is concentrated on empowering black communities instead. Segregated into ghettos and without state grants or development activities, people in these communities are sometimes forced to join a gang or dealing drugs also to provide for their own family. Young gangster are also used for the worst crimes by the fact that, being still under 18 years old, they would face shorter sentences if caught. Drug abuse between kids as young as 12 is not uncommon, especially crystal meth, mandrax and marijuana.
    Marvin_Gangster_Redemption_04.JPG
  • Thomas, 64, and Elisabeth, 62, are living in the area of Heideveld, Cape Town, RSA, since about 40 years and are scared to go out even during the day because of street gun-fight. They run a little vegetable shop in their house. They acknowledge the fact that thanks to the large police station not far from their house thing are slowly getting better, but also that law enforcement is probably not the right long-term way to curb crime, gangs and drug addiction. They favour development and education for the kids but till now the government of South Africa has promoted a effectual policy towards the area of Heideveld. With extremely high rates of unemployment, poor resources and too little authority control, ghettos as Heideveld are the best places for gangs to grow in activity and businesses. Targeting mostly young people from their area to carry on the 'dirty job', gangs in the Western Cape, and South Africa are an endemic problem in continuous increase in the years after the radical apartheid governmental system. ?Coloured? communities have lost almost all their help from a government that now is concentrated on empowering black communities instead. Segregated into ghettos and without state grants or development activities, people in these community are sometimes forced to join a gang or dealing drugs also to provide for their own family. Young gangster are also used for the worst crimes by the fact that, being still under 18 years old, they would face shorter sentences if caught.
    Marvin_Gangster_Redemption_15.jpg
  • Youngsters on the streets of the impoverished neighbourhood of Heideveld, Cape Town, RSA. Francis, a woman living in the area from 40 years is on the back; she has witnessed and has been threatened by the wave of violence affecting these communities. Her grandson, who was part of a gang in the area has been shot three times in front of her house by the common drive-by-shootings carried on by rival gangs in the neighbouring areas. Being in so close contact with members of gangs and criminal activity, youngsters are those who are most tempted to join a gang, which most of the time is also probably composed by friends and others living in the community. Making errands or favours to gang members is also common to the younger kids in these areas which are lured by the apparently easy gains deriving from the activity.  With extremely high rates of unemployment, poor resources and too little authority control, ghettos as Heideveld are the best places for gangs to grow in activity and businesses. Targeting mostly young people from their area to carry on the 'dirty job', gangs in the Western Cape, and South Africa are an endemic problem in continuous increase in the years after the radical apartheid governmental system. 'Coloured' communities have lost almost all their help from a government that now is concentrated on empowering black communities instead. Segregated into ghettos and without state grants or development activities, people in these communities are sometimes forced to join a gang or dealing drugs also to provide for their own family. Young gangster are also used for the worst crimes by the fact that, being still under 18 years old, they would face shorter sentences if caught. Drug abuse between kids as young as 12 is not uncommon, especially crystal meth, mandrax and marijuana.
    Marvin_Gangster_Redemption_14.JPG
  • Youngsters on the streets of the impoverished neighbourhood of Heideveld, Cape Town, RSA. Here in front of their house. Being in so close contact with members of gangs and criminal activity, youngsters are those who are most tempted to join a gang, which most of the time is also probably composed by friends and others living in the community. Making errands or favours to gang members is also common to the younger kids in these areas which are lured by the apparently easy gains deriving from the activity.  With extremely high rates of unemployment, poor resources and too little authority control, ghettos as Heideveld are the best places for gangs to grow in activity and businesses. Targeting mostly young people from their area to carry on the 'dirty job', gangs in the Western Cape, and South Africa are an endemic problem in continuous increase in the years after the radical apartheid governmental system. 'Coloured' communities have lost almost all their help from a government that now is concentrated on empowering black communities instead. Segregated into ghettos and without state grants or development activities, people in these communities are sometimes forced to join a gang or dealing drugs also to provide for their own family. Young gangster are also used for the worst crimes by the fact that, being still under 18 years old, they would face shorter sentences if caught. Drug abuse between kids as young as 12 is not uncommon, especially crystal meth, mandrax and marijuana.
    Marvin_Gangster_Redemption_08.JPG
  • Youngsters on the streets of the impoverished neighbourhood of Heideveld, Cape Town, RSA. Here showing Marijuana worth 50 Rands (about 50 pence). With extremely high rates of unemployment, poor resources and too little authority control, ghettos as Heideveld are the best places for gangs to grow in activity and businesses. Targeting mostly young people from their area to carry on the ?dirty job?, gangs in the Western Cape, and South Africa are an endemic problem in continuous increase in the years after the radical apartheid governmental system. ?Coloured? communities have lost almost all their help from a government that now is concentrated on empowering black communities instead. Segregated into ghettos and without state grants or development activities, people in these community are sometimes forced to join a gang or dealing drugs also to provide for their own family. Young gangster are also used for the worst crimes by the fact that, being still under 18 years old, they would face shorter sentences if caught. Drug abuse between kids as young as 12 is not uncommon, especially crystal meth, mandrax and marijuana.
    Marvin_Gangster_Redemption_06.JPG
  • Visitors are attending the museum inside Hoover Dam, also known as Boulder Dam, standing in the Black Canyon of the Colorado River, forming Lake Mead, on the border between Nevada and Arizona, USA. Constructed between 1931 and 1936 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, its construction was the result of a massive effort involving thousands of workers. Lake Mead is 180 km long, and when filled to capacity can reach 28 million acre-feet of water. However, the lake has not reached this capacity in more than a decade, due to increasing droughts.
    34_Las_Vegas_Water_Addiction.JPG
  • A boy is driving his bicycle in the mids of heavy traffic on the streets of Agra. The Taj Mahal has been struggling to keep in shape also because of the high levels of pollution in the city, mainly caused by congested roads and high levels of traffic, vehicles and an increasing population, in Agra.
    Taj_Mahal_Pollution_173.JPG
  • The Taj Mahal has been struggling to keep in shape also because of the high levels of pollution in the city, mainly caused by congested roads and high levels of traffic, vehicles and an increasing population, in Agra.
    Taj_Mahal_Pollution_172.JPG
  • The Taj Mahal has been struggling to keep in shape also because of the high levels of pollution in the city, mainly caused by congested roads and high levels of traffic, vehicles and an increasing population, in Agra.
    Taj_Mahal_Pollution_071.JPG
  • A man lying, supposedly drunk, in the middle of a congested junction is struggling under an incoming car. The car moved back and drove away. The Taj Mahal has been struggling to keep in shape also because of the high levels of pollution in the city, mainly caused by congested roads and high levels of traffic, vehicles and an increasing population, in Agra.
    Taj_Mahal_Pollution_070.JPG
  • A man is lying, supposedly drunk, in the middle of a congested junction. The Taj Mahal has been struggling to keep in shape also because of the high levels of pollution in the city, mainly caused by congested roads and high levels of traffic, vehicles and an increasing population, in Agra.
    Taj_Mahal_Pollution_069.JPG
  • The Taj Mahal has been struggling to keep in shape also because of the high levels of pollution in the city, mainly caused by congested roads and high levels of traffic, vehicles and an increasing population, in Agra.
    Taj_Mahal_Pollution_067.JPG
  • A rickshaw driver sits in his vehicle on the streets of Agra. The Taj Mahal has been struggling to keep in shape also because of the high levels of pollution in the city, mainly caused by congested roads and high levels of traffic, vehicles and an increasing population.
    Taj_Mahal_Pollution_037.JPG
  • Travellers are taking a break at one of the various tent camps where they can be hosted, served food and hot drinks..The Leh-Manali Highway is the main road connection between the remote mountainous region of Ladhak, with capital in Leh (3300m), and Manali, HP, a famous hill station 600 km north of New Delhi. Open only four months a year, it is the second-highest motorable road in the world crossing passes up to 5300 meters. It was constructed by the Indian Army in order to develop the surrounding areas as well as monitoring the nearby borders with Kashmir and China. Due to its beauty and increased accessibility, the road to Leh and Ladhak has recently become a must-see destination for local and international tourists leaving the scorching Indian plains..
    Leh-Manali-Highway_India_17.jpg
  • A day-tourist riding a bike is having a hard time along a wet and particularly muddy section of the Leh-Manali Highway leading up to Rotanlg La, (3,978 m) the nearest pass to the hill station of Manali, in Himachal Pradesh, 600 km north of New Delhi...The Leh-Manali Highway is the main road connection between the remote mountainous region of Ladhak, with capital in Leh (3300m), and Manali, HP, a famous hill station 600 km north of New Delhi. Open only four months a year, it is the second-highest motorable road in the world crossing passes up to 5300 meters. It was constructed by the Indian Army in order to develop the surrounding areas as well as monitoring the nearby borders with Kashmir and China. Due to its beauty and increased accessibility, the road to Leh and Ladhak has recently become a must-see destination for local and international tourists leaving the scorching Indian plains..
    Leh-Manali-Highway_India_08.jpg
  • Two adventurous tourists on bikes are riding along the Leh-Manali Highway...The Leh-Manali Highway is the main road connection between the remote mountainous region of Ladhak, with capital in Leh (3300m), and Manali, HP, a famous hill station 600 km north of New Delhi. Open only four months a year, it is the second-highest motorable road in the world crossing passes up to 5300 meters. It was constructed by the Indian Army in order to develop the surrounding areas as well as monitoring the nearby borders with Kashmir and China. Due to its beauty and increased accessibility, the road to Leh and Ladhak has recently become a must-see destination for local and international tourists leaving the scorching Indian plains..
    Leh-Manali-Highway_India_07.jpg
  • The town of Leh, capital of Ladhak, a small northern Himalayan Indian state with a dominant Buddhist population, is photographed from a nearby hill. ...The Leh-Manali Highway is the main road connection between the remote mountainous region of Ladhak, with capital in Leh (3300m), and Manali, HP, a famous hill station 600 km north of New Delhi. Open only four months a year, it is the second-highest motorable road in the world crossing passes up to 5300 meters. It was constructed by the Indian Army in order to develop the surrounding areas as well as monitoring the nearby borders with Kashmir and China. Due to its beauty and increased accessibility, the road to Leh and Ladhak has recently become a must-see destination for local and international tourists leaving the scorching Indian plains..
    Leh-Manali-Highway_India_01.jpg
  • A pill of Mandrax (methaqualone). Initially marketed as a sedative or sleeping tablet by the French pharmaceutical giant Roussell Laboratories, it turned out to be highly addictive and banned in 1977. Sold illegally in South Africa, it is smoked in conjunction with Marijuana and it is the most widely used drug in the Western Cape, sold at about 30 Rands (about 3 UK pounds) per tablet. It is crushed and smoked in pipes or bottlenecks. It makes the user feel relaxed, clam and peaceful and everything looks perfect, while turning aggressive when the effect is wearing off. It requires increased usage in order to achieve the same effects and depression feelings are not uncommon with use. According to the Cape Town Drug Counselling Centre (CTDCC) it is a really difficult habit to break in impoverished communities where young unemployed are left on their own with no government help or other activities apart from crime and gansgterism. Social injustice, weakened family links and a feeling of 'not-belonging' are also causes of problems upon the 'coloured' communities in South Africa.
    Marvin_Gangster_Redemption_05.JPG
  • Coal ready to be shipped at the Unity Mine complex, on Thursday, Apr. 12, 2007, in Cwmgwrach, Vale of Neath, South Wales. The time is ripe again for an unexpected revival of the coal industry in the Vale of Neath due to the increasing prize and diminishing reserves of oil and gas, the uncertainties of renewable energy sources, and the technological advancement in producing energy from coal while limiting emissions of pollutants, has created the basis for valuable investment opportunities and a possible alternative to the latest energy crisis. Unity Mine, in particular, has started a pioneering effort to revive the coal industry in the area, reopening after more than 8 years with the intent of exploiting the large resources still buried underground. Coal could be then answer to both, access to cheaper and paradoxically greener energy and a better and safer choice than nuclear energy as a major supply for the decades to come. It is estimated that coal reserves in Wales amount to over 250 million tonnes, or the equivalent of at least 50 years of energy supply, while the worldwide total coal could last for over 200 years as a viable resource compared to only a few decades of oil and natural gas...
    Coal_Wales47.JPG
  • Miners are being briefed about Health and Safety Regulatnios by Stuart Beaumont (centre), the project manager, on Wednesday, Apr. 11, 2007, in Cwmgwrach, Vale of Neath, South Wales. The time is ripe again for an unexpected revival of the coal industry in the Vale of Neath due to the increasing prize and diminishing reserves of oil and gas, the uncertainties of renewable energy sources, and the technological advancement in producing energy from coal while limiting emissions of pollutants, has created the basis for valuable investment opportunities and a possible alternative to the latest energy crisis. Unity Mine, in particular, has started a pioneering effort to revive the coal industry in the area, reopening after more than 8 years with the intent of exploiting the large resources still buried underground. Coal could be then answer to both, access to cheaper and paradoxically greener energy and a better and safer choice than nuclear energy as a major supply for the decades to come. It is estimated that coal reserves in Wales amount to over 250 million tonnes, or the equivalent of at least 50 years of energy supply, while the worldwide total coal could last for over 200 years as a viable resource compared to only a few decades of oil and natural gas...
    Coal_Wales46.JPG
  • Miners are inspecting the underground coal wall at the Unity Mine complex, on Tuesday, July 31, 2007, in Cwmgwrach, Vale of Neath, South Wales. The time is ripe again for an unexpected revival of the coal industry in the Vale of Neath due to the increasing prize and diminishing reserves of oil and gas, the uncertainties of renewable energy sources, and the technological advancement in producing energy from coal while limiting emissions of pollutants, has created the basis for valuable investment opportunities and a possible alternative to the latest energy crisis. Unity Mine, in particular, has started a pioneering effort to revive the coal industry in the area, reopening after more than 8 years with the intent of exploiting the large resources still buried underground. Coal could be then answer to both, access to cheaper and paradoxically greener energy and a better and safer choice than nuclear energy as a major supply for the decades to come. It is estimated that coal reserves in Wales amount to over 250 million tonnes, or the equivalent of at least 50 years of energy supply, while the worldwide total coal could last for over 200 years as a viable resource compared to only a few decades of oil and natural gas...
    Coal_Wales39.JPG
  • The coal is being washed in the Coal Processing Plant at Tower Colliery, the last deep mine in Wales, on Tuesday, June 19, 2007, in Hirwaun, Vale of Neath, South Wales. The time is ripe again for an unexpected revival of the coal industry in the Vale of Neath due to the increasing prize and diminishing reserves of oil and gas, the uncertainties of renewable energy sources, and the technological advancement in producing energy from coal while limiting emissions of pollutants, has created the basis for valuable investment opportunities and a possible alternative to the latest energy crisis. Unity Mine, in particular, has started a pioneering effort to revive the coal industry in the area, reopening after more than 8 years with the intent of exploiting the large resources still buried underground. Coal could be then answer to both, access to cheaper and paradoxically greener energy and a better and safer choice than nuclear energy as a major supply for the decades to come. It is estimated that coal reserves in Wales amount to over 250 million tonnes, or the equivalent of at least 50 years of energy supply, while the worldwide total coal could last for over 200 years as a viable resource compared to only a few decades of oil and natural gas.
    Coal_Wales33.JPG
  • The Vale of Neath is visible from the Tower Colliery complex on Tuesday, June 19, 2007, in Hirwaun, Vale of Neath, South Wales. The time is ripe again for an unexpected revival of the coal industry in the Vale of Neath due to the increasing prize and diminishing reserves of oil and gas, the uncertainties of renewable energy sources, and the technological advancement in producing energy from coal while limiting emissions of pollutants, has created the basis for valuable investment opportunities and a possible alternative to the latest energy crisis. Unity Mine, in particular, has started a pioneering effort to revive the coal industry in the area, reopening after more than 8 years with the intent of exploiting the large resources still buried underground. Coal could be then answer to both, access to cheaper and paradoxically greener energy and a better and safer choice than nuclear energy as a major supply for the decades to come. It is estimated that coal reserves in Wales amount to over 250 million tonnes, or the equivalent of at least 50 years of energy supply, while the worldwide total coal could last for over 200 years as a viable resource compared to only a few decades of oil and natural gas.
    Coal_Wales25.JPG
  • Vernon Watkins, 62, is holding some of the coal extracted from Unity Mine for the first time in 8 years on Tuesday, July 31, 2007, in Cwmgwrach, Vale of Neath, South Wales. The time is ripe again for an unexpected revival of the coal industry in the Vale of Neath due to the increasing prize and diminishing reserves of oil and gas, the uncertainties of renewable energy sources, and the technological advancement in producing energy from coal while limiting emissions of pollutants, has created the basis for valuable investment opportunities and a possible alternative to the latest energy crisis. Unity Mine, in particular, has started a pioneering effort to revive the coal industry in the area, reopening after more than 8 years with the intent of exploiting the large resources still buried underground. Coal could be then answer to both, access to cheaper and paradoxically greener energy and a better and safer choice than nuclear energy as a major supply for the decades to come. It is estimated that coal reserves in Wales amount to over 250 million tonnes, or the equivalent of at least 50 years of energy supply, while the worldwide total coal could last for over 200 years as a viable resource compared to only a few decades of oil and natural gas.
    Coal_Wales23.jpg
  • (left to right) Tony Berg, 58, Vernon Watkins, 62, and Keith Aubrey, 56, three of the miners working to restore Unity Mine are portrayed at the end of their shift while having a chat and compiling the daily operations report, on Wednesday, Apr. 11, 2007, in Cwmgwrach, Vale of Neath, South Wales. The time is ripe again for an unexpected revival of the coal industry in the Vale of Neath due to the increasing prize and diminishing reserves of oil and gas, the uncertainties of renewable energy sources, and the technological advancement in producing energy from coal while limiting emissions of pollutants, has created the basis for valuable investment opportunities and a possible alternative to the latest energy crisis. Unity Mine, in particular, has started a pioneering effort to revive the coal industry in the area, reopening after more than 8 years with the intent of exploiting the large resources still buried underground. Coal could be then answer to both, access to cheaper and paradoxically greener energy and a better and safer choice than nuclear energy as a major supply for the decades to come. It is estimated that coal reserves in Wales amount to over 250 million tonnes, or the equivalent of at least 50 years of energy supply, while the worldwide total coal could last for over 200 years as a viable resource compared to only a few decades of oil and natural gas.
    Coal_Wales20.JPG
  • Safety standards require each miner to have a number plate to be left at the entrance of the mine as reference of them being underground, on Thursday, Apr. 12, 2007, in Cwmgwrach, Vale of Neath, South Wales. The time is ripe again for an unexpected revival of the coal industry in the Vale of Neath due to the increasing prize and diminishing reserves of oil and gas, the uncertainties of renewable energy sources, and the technological advancement in producing energy from coal while limiting emissions of pollutants, has created the basis for valuable investment opportunities and a possible alternative to the latest energy crisis. Unity Mine, in particular, has started a pioneering effort to revive the coal industry in the area, reopening after more than 8 years with the intent of exploiting the large resources still buried underground. Coal could be then answer to both, access to cheaper and paradoxically greener energy and a better and safer choice than nuclear energy as a major supply for the decades to come. It is estimated that coal reserves in Wales amount to over 250 million tonnes, or the equivalent of at least 50 years of energy supply, while the worldwide total coal could last for over 200 years as a viable resource compared to only a few decades of oil and natural gas.
    Coal_Wales14.JPG
  • A Welsh miner stands under a dim light inside Unity Mine, on Tuesday, June 19, 2007, in Cwmgwrach, Vale of Neath, South Wales. The time is ripe again for an unexpected revival of the coal industry in the Vale of Neath due to the increasing prize and diminishing reserves of oil and gas, the uncertainties of renewable energy sources, and the technological advancement in producing energy from coal while limiting emissions of pollutants, has created the basis for valuable investment opportunities and a possible alternative to the latest energy crisis. Unity Mine, in particular, has started a pioneering effort to revive the coal industry in the area, reopening after more than 8 years with the intent of exploiting the large resources still buried underground. Coal could be then answer to both, access to cheaper and paradoxically greener energy and a better and safer choice than nuclear energy as a major supply for the decades to come. It is estimated that coal reserves in Wales amount to over 250 million tonnes, or the equivalent of at least 50 years of energy supply, while the worldwide total coal could last for over 200 years as a viable resource compared to only a few decades of oil and natural gas.
    Coal_Wales12.JPG
  • Miners are dropping their safety equipment in the lamp room of the last deep mine in Wales, Tower Colliery are about to leave after their shift underground on Wednesday, June 20, 2007, in Hirwaun, Vale of Neath, South Wales. The time is ripe again for an unexpected revival of the coal industry in the Vale of Neath due to the increasing prize and diminishing reserves of oil and gas, the uncertainties of renewable energy sources, and the technological advancement in producing energy from coal while limiting emissions of pollutants, has created the basis for valuable investment opportunities and a possible alternative to the latest energy crisis. Unity Mine, in particular, has started a pioneering effort to revive the coal industry in the area, reopening after more than 8 years with the intent of exploiting the large resources still buried underground. Coal could be then answer to both, access to cheaper and paradoxically greener energy and a better and safer choice than nuclear energy as a major supply for the decades to come. It is estimated that coal reserves in Wales amount to over 250 million tonnes, or the equivalent of at least 50 years of energy supply, while the worldwide total coal could last for over 200 years as a viable resource compared to only a few decades of oil and natural gas.
    Coal_Wales06.JPG
  • Turbines inside Hoover Dam, also known as Boulder Dam, are creating electric power, in the Black Canyon of the Colorado River, forming Lake Mead, on the border between Nevada and Arizona, USA. Constructed between 1931 and 1936 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, its construction was the result of a massive effort involving thousands of workers. Lake Mead is 180 km long, and when filled to capacity can reach 28 million acre-feet of water. However, the lake has not reached this capacity in more than a decade, due to increasing droughts.
    33_Las_Vegas_Water_Addiction.JPG
  • Hoover Dam, also known as Boulder Dam, is standing in the Black Canyon of the Colorado River, forming Lake Mead, on the border between Nevada and Arizona, USA. Constructed between 1931 and 1936 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, its construction was the result of a massive effort involving thousands of workers. Lake Mead is 180 km long, and when filled to capacity can reach 28 million acre-feet of water. However, the lake has not reached this capacity in more than a decade, due to increasing droughts.
    21_Las_Vegas_Water_Addiction.JPG
  • Lake Mead, on the border between Nevada and Arizona, USA, is the main water provider for Las Vegas, a city of 2 million people, in the middle of the southern Nevada desert. A colour shift in the rocks (visible) indicates the water drop the lake has witnessed in recent years. Lake Mead is 180 km long, and when filled to capacity, can reach 28 million acre-feet of water. However, the lake has not reached this capacity in more than a decade, due to increasing droughts.
    08_Las_Vegas_Water_Addiction.JPG
  • Water fountains are being shown on a massive digital screen, set up along The Strip, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, as cars and visitors pass by. Lake Mead, on the border between Nevada and Arizona, USA, is the main water provider for Las Vegas, a city of 2 million people, in the middle of southern Nevada desert. It is 180 km long, and when filled to capacity, can reach 28 million acre-feet of water. However, the lake has not reached this capacity in more than a decade, due to increasing droughts.
    01_Las_Vegas_Water_Addiction.JPG
  • A cycle rickshaw driver is taking a break on the streets of Agra. The Taj Mahal has been struggling to keep in shape also because of the high levels of pollution in the city, mainly caused by congested roads and high levels of traffic, vehicles and an increasing population, in Agra.
    Taj_Mahal_Pollution_176.JPG
  • Two man are cycling in the mids of a busy junction in Agra. The Taj Mahal has been struggling to keep in shape also because of the high levels of pollution in the city, mainly caused by congested roads and high levels of traffic, vehicles and an increasing population, in Agra.
    Taj_Mahal_Pollution_175.JPG
  • Men are stading on the back of a small van in the mids of heavy traffic on the streets of Agra. The Taj Mahal has been struggling to keep in shape also because of the high levels of pollution in the city, mainly caused by congested roads and high levels of traffic, vehicles and an increasing population, in Agra.
    Taj_Mahal_Pollution_174.JPG
  • Brij Khandelwal, a renown environmental journalist for the Times of India, is walking in the mids of traffic on the streets of Agra. The Taj Mahal has been struggling to keep in shape also because of the high levels of pollution in the city, mainly caused by congested roads and high levels of traffic, vehicles and an increasing population, in Agra.
    Taj_Mahal_Pollution_080.JPG
  • People are walking on the streets of Agra, next to a busy junction. The Taj Mahal has been struggling to keep in shape also because of the high levels of pollution in the city, mainly caused by congested roads and high levels of traffic, vehicles and an increasing population, in Agra.
    Taj_Mahal_Pollution_072.JPG
  • A vendor is selling Coca Cola on the streets of Agra. The Taj Mahal has been struggling to keep in shape also because of the high levels of pollution in the city, mainly caused by congested roads and high levels of traffic, vehicles and an increasing population, in Agra.
    Taj_Mahal_Pollution_068.JPG
  • The Taj Mahal has been struggling to keep in shape also because of the high levels of pollution in the city, mainly caused by congested roads and high levels of traffic, vehicles and an increasing population, in Agra.
    Taj_Mahal_Pollution_046.JPG
  • The Taj Mahal has been struggling to keep in shape also because of the high levels of pollution in the city, mainly caused by congested roads and high levels of traffic, vehicles and an increasing population, in Agra.
    Taj_Mahal_Pollution_045.JPG
  • The Taj Mahal has been struggling to keep in shape also because of the high levels of pollution in the city, mainly caused by congested roads and high levels of traffic, vehicles and an increasing population, in Agra.
    Taj_Mahal_Pollution_044.JPG
  • The Taj Mahal has been struggling to keep in shape also because of the high levels of pollution in the city, mainly caused by congested roads and high levels of traffic, vehicles and an increasing population, in Agra.
    Taj_Mahal_Pollution_036.JPG
  • An Indian tourist is taking a break along the Leh-Manali Highway during one of the many long queues that come to create due to its steepness and narrowness. Six thousands workers are employed from East India by the Indian Army every year to maintain and strengthen the road which has become an important tourist and economic route to the north...The Leh-Manali Highway is the main road connection between the remote mountainous region of Ladhak, with capital in Leh (3300m), and Manali, HP, a famous hill station 600 km north of New Delhi. Open only four months a year, it is the second-highest motorable road in the world crossing passes up to 5300 meters. It was constructed by the Indian Army in order to develop the surrounding areas as well as monitoring the nearby borders with Kashmir and China. Due to its beauty and increased accessibility, the road to Leh and Ladhak has recently become a must-see destination for local and international tourists leaving the scorching Indian plains..
    Leh-Manali-Highway_India_24.jpg
  • A bus is travelling on a narrow section of the Leh-Manali Highway near parts of a melting icy section of the mountain along the Leh-Manali Highway...The Leh-Manali Highway is the main road connection between the remote mountainous region of Ladhak, with capital in Leh (3300m), and Manali, HP, a famous hill station 600 km north of New Delhi. Open only four months a year, it is the second-highest motorable road in the world crossing passes up to 5300 meters. It was constructed by the Indian Army in order to develop the surrounding areas as well as monitoring the nearby borders with Kashmir and China. Due to its beauty and increased accessibility, the road to Leh and Ladhak has recently become a must-see destination for local and international tourists leaving the scorching Indian plains..
    Leh-Manali-Highway_India_19.jpg
  • A local woman is preparing an omelette for travellers passing by her hut-turned-restaurant along the Leh-Manali Highway...The Leh-Manali Highway is the main road connection between the remote mountainous region of Ladhak, with capital in Leh (3300m), and Manali, HP, a famous hill station 600 km north of New Delhi. Open only four months a year, it is the second-highest motorable road in the world crossing passes up to 5300 meters. It was constructed by the Indian Army in order to develop the surrounding areas as well as monitoring the nearby borders with Kashmir and China. Due to its beauty and increased accessibility, the road to Leh and Ladhak has recently become a must-see destination for local and international tourists leaving the scorching Indian plains..
    Leh-Manali-Highway_India_18.jpg
  • A tent camp where travellers can sleep during the 479 Km trip, which takes on verge 2 days to complete, is photographed along the Leh-Manali Highway...The Leh-Manali Highway is the main road connection between the remote mountainous region of Ladhak, with capital in Leh (3300m), and Manali, HP, a famous hill station 600 km north of New Delhi. Open only four months a year, it is the second-highest motorable road in the world crossing passes up to 5300 meters. It was constructed by the Indian Army in order to develop the surrounding areas as well as monitoring the nearby borders with Kashmir and China. Due to its beauty and increased accessibility, the road to Leh and Ladhak has recently become a must-see destination for local and international tourists leaving the scorching Indian plains..
    Leh-Manali-Highway_India_11.jpg
  • A mountain lake is bordering the Leh-Manali Highway near Taglang La, a mountain pass 5,325 m high, and one of the five the road crosses in its 479 Km, some of the highest in the world, including Rohtang La 3,978 m (13,051 ft), Baralacha La 4,892 m (16,050 ft), Lachulung La 5,059 m. (16,598 ft) ..The Leh-Manali Highway is the main road connection between the remote mountainous region of Ladhak, with capital in Leh (3300m), and Manali, HP, a famous hill station 600 km north of New Delhi. Open only four months a year, it is the second-highest motorable road in the world crossing passes up to 5300 meters. It was constructed by the Indian Army in order to develop the surrounding areas as well as monitoring the nearby borders with Kashmir and China. Due to its beauty and increased accessibility, the road to Leh and Ladhak has recently become a must-see destination for local and international tourists leaving the scorching Indian plains..
    Leh-Manali-Highway_India_09.jpg
  • Young Buddhist monks are awaiting to be gin a Puja in the early morning inside 'Thikse Gompa', a spectacular monastery near Leh, the capital of Ladhak, a small northern Himalayan Indian state with a dominant Buddhist population...The Leh-Manali Highway is the main road connection between the remote mountainous region of Ladhak, with capital in Leh (3300m), and Manali, HP, a famous hill station 600 km north of New Delhi. Open only four months a year, it is the second-highest motorable road in the world crossing passes up to 5300 meters. It was constructed by the Indian Army in order to develop the surrounding areas as well as monitoring the nearby borders with Kashmir and China. Due to its beauty and increased accessibility, the road to Leh and Ladhak has recently become a must-see destination for local and international tourists leaving the scorching Indian plains..
    Leh-Manali-Highway_India_06.jpg
  • Local people in Leh are passing by a large praying wheel near the gate to the city where the Leh-Manali Highway beings...The Leh-Manali Highway is the main road connection between the remote mountainous region of Ladhak, with capital in Leh (3300m), and Manali, HP, a famous hill station 600 km north of New Delhi. Open only four months a year, it is the second-highest motorable road in the world crossing passes up to 5300 meters. It was constructed by the Indian Army in order to develop the surrounding areas as well as monitoring the nearby borders with Kashmir and China. Due to its beauty and increased accessibility, the road to Leh and Ladhak has recently become a must-see destination for local and international tourists leaving the scorching Indian plains..
    Leh-Manali-Highway_India_02.jpg
  • Francis, 76 years old, a woman living since 40 years in the impoverished area of Heideveld, Cape Town, RSA. She thinks the situation is getting slowly better in the area compared with the lawlessness experienced during the 1980s. Her grandson, who was part of a gang in the area has been shot three times in front of her house by the common drive-by-shootings carried on by rival gangs in the neighbouring areas. She is scared to walk to the shops in Heideveld because she could find herself in the middle of a gunfight on the streets, but she also acquired some confidence after the government decided to build a large police station just on the area's outskirts. She laments the increasing problems due to drug dealing and abuse amongst the youngs and, like most of the people I spoke to, the soaring rate of unemployment. "If the government helps us with jobs then the situation would b better" she believes. The US style 'war on gangs' protracted since a few years by the government of South Africa is not showing its fruits; on the contrary, critics has been made to it for the excessive penalties suffered by alleged gang members that overburden an already instable prison system, whether in many advocate a better development and education policy and programmes, rather that an open fight, clarly ineffectual on the long-term. In the mainly 'coloured' area of  Heideveld, where unemployment is rife, gangs are flourishing.
    Marvin_Gangster_Redemption_18.JPG
  • Youngster smoking Mandrax (methaqualone) and Marijuana in a bottleneck, in Heideveld, CapeTown, RSA. Initially marketed as a sedative or sleeping tablet by the French pharmaceutical giant Roussell Laboratories, it turned out to be highly addictive and banned in 1977. Sold illegally in South Africa, it is smoked in conjunction with Marijuana and it is the most widely used drug in the Western Cape, sold at about 30 Rands (about 3 UK pounds) per tablet. It is crushed and smoked in pipes or bottlenecks. It makes the user feel relaxed, clam and peaceful and everything looks perfect, while turning aggressive when the effect is wearing off. It requires increased usage in order to achieve the same effects and depression feelings are not uncommon with use. According to the Cape Town Drug Counselling Centre (CTDCC) it is a really difficult habit to break in impoverished communities where young unemployed are left on their own with no government help or other activities apart from crime and gansgterism. Social injustice, weakened family links and a feeling of 'not-belonging' are also causes of problems upon the 'coloured' communities in South Africa.
    Marvin_Gangster_Redemption_12.JPG
  • Youngsters smoking Mandrax (methaqualone) and Marijuana in their backgarden, in Cape Town, RSA. Initially marketed as a sedative or sleeping tablet by the French pharmaceutical giant Roussell Laboratories, it turned out to be highly addictive and banned in 1977. Sold illegally in South Africa, it is smoked in conjunction with Marijuana and it is the most widely used drug in the Western Cape, sold at about 30 Rands (about 3 UK pounds) per tablet. It is crushed and smoked in pipes or bottlenecks. It makes the user feel relaxed, clam and peaceful and everything looks perfect, while turning aggressive when the effect is wearing off. It requires increased usage in order to achieve the same effects and depression feelings are not uncommon with use. According to the Cape Town Drug Counselling Centre (CTDCC) it is a really difficult habit to break in impoverished communities where young unemployed are left on their own with no government help or other activities apart from crime and gansgterism. Social injustice, weakened family links and a feeling of 'not-belonging' are also causes of problems upon the 'coloured' communities in South Africa.
    Marvin_Gangster_Redemption_11.JPG
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