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  • Marvin, 20 years old, former gangster, teaching a life orientation lesson to young neglected youngsters in the School of Hope in Athlone, Cape Town, RSA, where troubled young kids at risk are getting education (run by Thembalitsha.org.za a local NGO). Marvin was a hit-man, working also for different gang such as 'The Americans' and the 'Junior Mafia' between the age of 15 and 19. He grow up in the mainly 'coloured' area of  Heideveld, where unemployment is rife and gangs are flourishing. He was also addicted by crystal meth (aka 'tik'), a dangerous chemical drug very common in South Africa's poorest neighbourhoods. Thanks to his family, after having been to reformatory, he was helped to get out of the gangs and to join a free academy for skills development aimed at empowering troubled youths through training and discipline, called Chrysalis (www.chrysalisacademy.org.za). He finished a three month course there and he is now about to  start working in the tourism industry; he know the wrongs has done and he does not want to go back to that life anymore. Chrysalis aim at reducing the levels of crime and violence in the Western Cape by transforming 'youth at risk' into strong, positive community leaders of the future through intensive continuous training. ?After I left the gang I was working for in the Woodstock area of Cape Town I have made myself some enemies; I cannot go back there anymore because someone has still anger left for me?I don?t want that life anymore, I want to live peacefully and fulfil my aspirations, you see: it is a matter of having little short-term goals, once you have achieved one you go onto the next, and so on. Always think you can do it, don?t give up, go for it again. I was running in dark corners, there was no way out, I did not have a goal, I had no dreams. You need to believe that you are worthwhile. Life is hard, it depends on you on how you want to make your life. Make everyday your day."
    Marvin_Gangster_Redemption_02.JPG
  • Marvin, 20 years old, former gangster, by a wall of a school close to the impoverished area of Heideveld, Cape Town, RSA. Marvin was a hit-man, working also for different gangs such as 'The Americans' and the 'Junior Mafia' between the age of 15 and 19. He grow up in the mainly 'coloured' area of  Heideveld, where unemployment is rife and gangs are flourishing. He was also addicted by Crystal Meth (aka 'tik'), a dangerous chemical drug very common in South Africa's poorest neighbourhoods. Thanks to his family he was helped to get out of the gangs and to join a free academy for skills development aimed at empowering troubled youths through training and discipline, called Chrysalis (www.chrysalisacademy.org.za). He finished a three month course there and he is now about to  start working in the tourism industry; he know the wrongs has done and he does not want to go back to that life anymore. Chrysalis aim at reducing the levels of crime and violence in the Western Cape by transforming 'youth at risk' into strong, positive community leaders of the future through intensive continuous training. Marvin is actually heading life orientation lessons to institutes as the School of Hope, in Athlone, Cape Town, where troubled young kids at risk are getting education (run by Thembalitsha.org.za a local NGO).
    Marvin_Gangster_Redemption_01.JPG
  • Marvin, 20 years old, former gangster, teaching a life orientation lesson to young neglected youngsters in the School of Hope in Athlone, Cape Town, RSA, where troubled young kids at risk are getting education (run by Thembalitsha.org.za a local NGO). Marvin was a hit-man, working also for different gang such as 'The Americans' and the 'Junior Mafia' between the age of 15 and 19. He grow up in the mainly 'coloured' area of  Heideveld, where unemployment is rife and gangs are flourishing. He was also addicted by crystal meth (aka 'tik'), a dangerous chemical drug very common in South Africa's poorest neighbourhoods. Thanks to his family, after having been to reformatory, he was helped to get out of the gangs and to join a free academy for skills development aimed at empowering troubled youths through training and discipline, called Chrysalis (www.chrysalisacademy.org.za). He finished a three month course there and he is now about to  start working in the tourism industry; he know the wrongs has done and he does not want to go back to that life anymore. Chrysalis aim at reducing the levels of crime and violence in the Western Cape by transforming 'youth at risk' into strong, positive community leaders of the future through intensive continuous training. ?After I left the gang I was working for in the Woodstock area of Cape Town I have made myself some enemies; I cannot go back there anymore because someone has still anger left for me?I don?t want that life anymore, I want to live peacefully and fulfil my aspirations, you see: it is a matter of having little short-term goals, once you have achieved one you go onto the next, and so on. Always think you can do it, don?t give up, go for it again. I was running in dark corners, there was no way out, I did not have a goal, I had no dreams. You need to believe that you are worthwhile. Life is hard, it depends on you on how you want to make your life. Make everyday your day."
    Marvin_Gangster_Redemption_16.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
  • 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
  • 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 exposing their tattoos ('STK Gang' and 'NOLA') on the streets of the impoverished neighbourhood of Heideveld, Cape Town, RSA. Membership to a gang most of the times imply having their tattoo marked on the body, using hand signs and speaking particular slang, in accordance with the area and the different gang, apart from carrying on criminal activities and fight with rivals. Innocent people get killed every year by gangsters believing them to be part of rival gangs because of the language just learnt on the streets.
    Marvin_Gangster_Redemption_07.JPG
  • A youngster is smoking Mandrax (methaqualone) mixed with Marijuana in Heideveld, 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_03.JPG
  • Youngsters exposing his 'East Coast Gang' tattoo on the streets of the impoverished neighbourhood of Heideveld, Cape Town, RSA. Membership to a gang most of the times imply having their tattoo marked on the body, using hand signs and speaking particular slang, in accordance with the area and the different gang, apart from carrying on criminal activities and fight with rivals. Innocent people get killed every year by gangsters believing them to be part of rival gangs because of the language just learnt on the streets.
    Marvin_Gangster_Redemption_13.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
  • 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
  • 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
  • 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 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
  • 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 participating to the ultra-nationalistic Azovets children's camp are eating breakfast together, on the banks of the Dnieper river in Kiev, Ukraine's capital.
    034_Nationalists_Children_Ukraine.JPG
  • Youngsters participating to the ultra-nationalistic Azovets children's camp are playing around military vehicles, in exposition on site on the banks of the Dnieper river, in Kiev, Ukraine's capital.
    030_Nationalists_Children_Ukraine.JPG
  • Kachur, 13, originally from the city of Kharkiv, eastern Ukraine, is participating to the nationalist Azov Battalion Summer Children's Camp near the village of Buzova, 10 km west of Kiev, the capital of Ukraine. This is Kachur's second time at an Azov summer camp.
    03_Kachur_AZOV_Uraine.JPG
  • People are visiting the market in Bagega, pop. 9000, a large village affected by lead poisoning due to the unsafe techniques employed for extracting gold, in Zamfara State, Nigeria. It is mainly caused by ingestion and breathing of lead particles released in the steps to isolate the gold from other metals. This type of lead is soluble in stomach acid and children under-5 are most affected, as they tend to ingest more through their hands by touching the ground, and are developing symptoms often leading to death or serious disabilities.
    32_Zamfara_Gold_Lead.JPG
  • Two boys, controlled by a guard, are looking for impure gold in the last step of the extraction in an artisanal processing site near Bagega, pop. 9000, a large village affected by lead poisoning due to the unsafe techniques employed for extracting gold, in Zamfara State, Nigeria. The contamination is caused by ingestion and breathing of lead particles released in the steps to isolate the gold from other metals. This type of lead is soluble in stomach acid and children under-5 are most affected, as they tend to ingest more through their hands by touching the ground, and are developing symptoms often leading to death or serious disabilities.
    22_Zamfara_Gold_Lead.JPG
  • Doctors at Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF - Doctors Without Borders) are trying to reanimate Marhazu Sa'adu, 9 days old, a child suffering from blood lead level of 49.6 micrograms per decilitre, tetanus and septicaemia, inside the MSF clinic in Anka, Zamfara State, Nigeria. Marhazu passed away within the day. The MSF facility handles serious cases of lead poisoning referred to them by local clinics in the surrounding villages. It is mainly caused by ingestion and breathing of lead particles released in the steps to isolate the gold from other metals. This type of lead is soluble in stomach acid and children under-5 are most affected, as they tend to ingest more through their hands by touching the ground, and are developing symptoms often leading to death or serious disabilities. The treatment with MSF starts when blood lead level (BLL) samples reach 45 micrograms per decilitre. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that a BLL of 5 micro-g/dL or above is a cause for concern. The cycle of medicines lasts for 20 days. After that, the child's blood is tested and a new round of treatment is provided. Treatment can last years, as lead is reduced in the blood, but it persists noticeably within the bones, especially if the patients return to the same polluted environment. Remediation of the affected villages, a campaign of awareness, and the introduction of safer mining techniques are pivotal to the long-term solution of a hazardous trend that has already killed over 460 children, and it is bound to grow in size, fostered by the ever-rising price of gold.
    16_Zamfara_Gold_Lead.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
  • Mayuri Mahesh Pandit, 13, (centre) is tidying up some clothes inside her house, before leaving to participate at the Unicef-run 'Deepshikha Prerika' project inside the Milind Nagar Pipeline Area, an urban slum on the outskirts of Mumbai, Maharashtra, India, where she resides with her family. Her eldest sister, Minal, 20, (right) came to visit her family, while their father Mahesh Kashinath Pandit, 42, (left) is talking to her.
    UNICEF_Project_India_Mumbai_2013_21.JPG
  • A mother is feeding breast milk to her malnourished child (right) while lying on the floor of a feeding centre run by UNICEF in the town Shivpuri, Madhya Pradesh, India.
    Acute_Child_Malnutrition_India_09.JPG
  • A boy is standing inside the affected village of Bagega, pop. 9000, Zamfara State, Nigeria, next to a large artisanal gold processing site. The lead contamination in the area is caused by ingestion and breathing of lead particles, released in the steps to isolate the gold from other metals. This type of lead is soluble in stomach acid and children under-5 are most affected, as they tend to ingest more through their hands by touching the ground, and are developing symptoms often leading to death or serious disabilities.
    Young_Villagers_Bagega_Zamfara_Portr...JPG
  • A young worker is standing in the artisanal gold processing site of the village of Bagega, pop. 9000, Zamfara State, Nigeria. The lead contamination in the area is caused by ingestion and breathing of particles released in the steps to isolate the gold from other metals. This type of lead is soluble in stomach acid and children under-5 are most affected, as they tend to ingest more through their hands by touching the ground, and are developing symptoms often leading to death or serious disabilities.
    Young_Workers_Bagega_Zamfara_Portrai...JPG
  • Recruits of the Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Elite Police Training Center, a commando and anti-terrorism academy on the outskirts of Karachi, are taking part to a raid simulation exercise involving the freeing of a hostage. The training center was founded by retired colonel Abdul Wahid Khan, a brave officer who served as a gunship helicopter pilot in the Pakistani Air Force and around the globe with the United Nations, but who's first task as a young army officer in 1979 was to train Afghan Mujahedeen to fight the Soviet Army, the very Mujahedeen that are today's Taleban.
    Protecting_Karachi_Alex_Masi_Pakista...JPG
  • Recruits of the the Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Elite Police Training Center, a commando and anti-terrorism academy on the outskirts of Karachi, are exercising at dawn. The training center was founded by retired colonel Abdul Wahid Khan, a brave officer who served as a gunship helicopter pilot in the Pakistani Air Force and around the globe with the United Nations, but who's first task as a young army officer in 1979 was to train Afghan Mujahedeen to fight the Soviet Army, the very Mujahedeen that are today's Taleban.
    Protecting_Karachi_Alex_Masi_Pakista...JPG
  • Yasamin Yarmal, 42, (right) a famous Afghan actress taking part to 'Love and Old Age', a successful soap opera broadcasted by Ariana Television Network (ATN), is discussing her acting with Ghafar Zalam, 48, (right - hands and script visible) the director, inside a home on the outskirts of Kabul, Afghanistan. Yasamin Yarmal has performed in over 100 movies and some refer to her as the 'mother' of Afghan cinema. She was also selected as UNAMA (United Nation Assistance Mission in Afghanistan) Peace Ambassador in 2009 for her role in leading a change towards women within the conservative and patriarchal Afghan society.
    Performing_For_Freedom_Kabul_Afghani...JPG
  • Elaha Soroor, 20, (centre) a finalist for 'Afghan Star', a Tolo TV program similar to American Idol, is portrayed in her home in Kabul, Afghanistan. Elaha Soroor was a finalist of Afghan Star in the 2008-2009 edition but failed to win on the final night. Some believe she lost because of her gender, others believe because she is ethnically Hazara, a minority group constituting about 15% of Afghanistan's population with features similar to Mongolians, flat noses, broad faces and almond-shaped eyes. Hazaras are mostly Shia Muslims, as opposed to other Afghans who are for the most part Sunnis.
    Performing_For_Freedom_Kabul_Afghani...JPG
  • Two women (left) dressed in traditional burka dresses are walking past a cart carrying brand new television sets along a more modern Afghan woman and her young daughter, (right) on the streets of Kabul, Afghanistan.
    Performing_For_Freedom_Kabul_Afghani...JPG
  • Lee, 26, from West London, (left) is sipping beer with Zil, 23, from Poland, (right) in the bar-room inside the just entered Winningon Road mansion on Friday, Oct. 19, 2007 in Hampstead, London, England. The residence, 89 Winnington Road, was former Indonesian President Haji Mohamed Suharto's top London mansion and was sold in 1999 for UK£ 9.5M when he was being investigated in his home country in regards to his fortune and extravagant lifestyle. Million Dollar Squatters is a documentary project in the lives of a peculiar group of squatters residing in three multi-million mansions in one of the classiest residential neighbourhoods of London, Hampstead Garden. The squatters' enthusiasm, their constant efforts to look after what has become their home, their ingenuity and adventurous spirit have all inspired me throughout the days and nights spent at their side. Between the fantasy world of exclusive Britain and the reality of squatting in London, I have been a witness to their unique story. While more than 100.000 properties in London still lay empty to this day, squatting provides a valid, and lawful alternative to paying Europe's most expensive rent prices, as well as offering the challenge of an adventurous lifestyle in the capital.
    MillionDollarSquatters15.JPG
  • Kitty, 24, (left) from Trinidad, and Josh, 26, (right) from London, are inspecting dates on the letters belonging to the owner of a mansion they have just been able to enter tonight, on Thursday, Oct. 18, 2007, in Hampstead, London, England. The residence, 89 Winnington Road, was former Indonesian President Haji Mohamed Suharto's top London mansion and was sold in 1999 for UK£ 9.5M when he was being investigated in his home country in regards to his fortune and extravagant lifestyle. Million Dollar Squatters is a documentary project in the lives of a peculiar group of squatters residing in three multi-million mansions in one of the classiest residential neighbourhoods of London, Hampstead Garden. The squatters' enthusiasm, their constant efforts to look after what has become their home, their ingenuity and adventurous spirit have all inspired me throughout the days and nights spent at their side. Between the fantasy world of exclusive Britain and the reality of squatting in London, I have been a witness to their unique story. While more than 100.000 properties in London still lay empty to this day, squatting provides a valid, and lawful alternative to paying Europe's most expensive rent prices, as well as offering the challenge of an adventurous lifestyle in the capital.
    MillionDollarSquatters05.JPG
  • Youngsters participating to the ultra-nationalistic Azovets children's camp are holding a combat position with a wooden rifle, during tactical training on the banks of the Dnieper river, in Kiev, Ukraine's capital.
    013_Nationalists_Children_Ukraine.JPG
  • Kachur, 13, originally from the city of Kharkiv, eastern Ukraine, is participating to the nationalist Azov Battalion Summer Children's Camp near the village of Buzova, 10 km west of Kiev, the capital of Ukraine. This is Kachur's second time at an Azov summer camp.
    21_Kachur_AZOV_Uraine.JPG
  • Kachur, 13, originally from the city of Kharkiv, eastern Ukraine, is participating to the nationalist Azov Battalion Summer Children's Camp near the village of Buzova, 10 km west of Kiev, the capital of Ukraine. This is Kachur's second time at an Azov summer camp.
    18_Kachur_AZOV_Uraine.JPG
  • Kachur, 13, originally from the city of Kharkiv, eastern Ukraine, is participating to the nationalist Azov Battalion Summer Children's Camp near the village of Buzova, 10 km west of Kiev, the capital of Ukraine. This is Kachur's second time at an Azov summer camp.
    12_Kachur_AZOV_Uraine.JPG
  • Kachur, 13, originally from the city of Kharkiv, eastern Ukraine, is participating to the nationalist Azov Battalion Summer Children's Camp near the village of Buzova, 10 km west of Kiev, the capital of Ukraine. This is Kachur's second time at an Azov summer camp.
    02_Kachur_AZOV_Uraine.JPG
  • An unlicensed miner is digging a new pit to extract ore containing gold, to be sold and processed in artisanal sites near Dareta village, Zamfara State, Nigeria. On October 28, 2011, in this very same mining site, four workers died buried under the ground when a pit suddenly collapsed. The lead contamination is caused by ingestion and breathing of lead particles released in the steps to isolate the gold from other metals. This type of lead is soluble in stomach acid and children under-5 are most affected, as they tend to ingest more through their hands by touching the ground, and are developing symptoms often leading to death or serious disabilities.
    Stories_Portfolio_033.JPG
  • Workers are manually crushing raw stones containing gold, and other metals like lead, in an artisanal gold processing site near Bagega, pop. 9000, a large village affected by lead poisoning due to the unsafe techniques employed for extracting gold, in Zamfara State, Nigeria. The contamination is caused by ingestion and breathing of lead particles released in the steps to isolate the gold from other metals. This type of lead is soluble in stomach acid and children under-5 are most affected, as they tend to ingest more through their hands by touching the ground, and are developing symptoms often leading to death or serious disabilities.
    46_Zamfara_Gold_Lead.JPG
  • A worker is manually crushing raw stones containing gold, and other metals like lead, in an artisanal gold processing site near Bagega, pop. 9000, a large village affected by lead poisoning due to the unsafe techniques employed for extracting gold, in Zamfara State, Nigeria. The contamination is caused by ingestion and breathing of lead particles released in the steps to isolate the gold from other metals. This type of lead is soluble in stomach acid and children under-5 are most affected, as they tend to ingest more through their hands by touching the ground, and are developing symptoms often leading to death or serious disabilities.
    21_Zamfara_Gold_Lead.JPG
  • An unlicensed miner is digging a new pit to extract ore containing gold, to be sold and processed in artisanal sites near Dareta village, Zamfara State, Nigeria. On October 28, 2011, in this very same mining site, four workers died buried under the ground when a pit suddenly collapsed. The lead contamination is caused by ingestion and breathing of lead particles released in the steps to isolate the gold from other metals. This type of lead is soluble in stomach acid and children under-5 are most affected, as they tend to ingest more through their hands by touching the ground, and are developing symptoms often leading to death or serious disabilities.
    02_Zamfara_Gold_Lead.JPG
  • Next to her instructor Wichai Saengkeaw, 42, Phatsorn Bunmasen, 14, has injured her left foot during training, and she is relaxing on a hammock while watching television in her front yard, in a village near Ubon Ratchathani, northeast Thailand.
    15_Girls_Muay_Thai_Boxing.JPG
  • Pupils are having breakfast in the early hours of the morning inside the Jamoniya Tank Girls Hostel, near Sehore, Madhya Pradesh, India, where the Unicef India Sport For Development Project has started in 2012. Covering 313 state-run girls’ hostels and 207 mixed hostels in Madhya Pradesh, the project ensures that children from Scheduled Tribes (ST) and others amongst the poorest people in India, can easily access education and be introduced to sports. Field workers from Unicef also oversee their nutrition and monitor the overall conditions of each pupil.
    Unicef_Sport_For_Development_MP_Indi...JPG
  • Ritu lives in the Jamoniya Tank Girls Hostel by her school, near Sehore, Madhya Pradesh, India, where the Unicef India Sport For Development Project has started in 2012. Covering 313 state-run girls’ hostels and 207 mixed hostels in Madhya Pradesh, the project ensures that children from Scheduled Tribes (ST) and others amongst the poorest people in India, can easily access education and be introduced to sports. Field workers from Unicef also oversee their nutrition and monitor the overall conditions of each pupil.
    Unicef_Sport_For_Development_MP_Indi...JPG
  • Ritu Gaur, 13, (centre) is praying in the early hours of the morning with other pupils in front of the Jamoniya Tank Girls Hostel, near Sehore, Madhya Pradesh, India, where the Unicef India Sport For Development Project has started in 2012. Covering 313 state-run girls’ hostels and 207 mixed hostels in Madhya Pradesh, the project ensures that children from Scheduled Tribes (ST) and others amongst the poorest people in India, can easily access education and be introduced to sports. Field workers from Unicef also oversee their nutrition and monitor the overall conditions of each pupil.
    Unicef_Sport_For_Development_MP_Indi...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
  • Mayuri Mahesh Pandit, 13, is walking around her modest home, before leaving to participate at the Unicef-run 'Deepshikha Prerika' project inside the Milind Nagar Pipeline Area, an urban slum on the outskirts of Mumbai, Maharashtra, India, where she resides with her family.
    UNICEF_Project_India_Mumbai_2013_20.JPG
  • Anita Suresh Kasbe,  41, (centre) the Unicef community facilitator is dancing and singing with the girls attending the Unicef-run 'Deepshikha Prerika' project inside the Milind Nagar Pipeline Area, an urban slum on the outskirts of Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. Here, Mayuri Mahesh Pandit, 13, (left) she resides with her family.
    UNICEF_Project_India_Mumbai_2013_22.JPG
  • A malnourished child is sitting on the floor of a feeding centre run by UNICEF in the town Shivpuri, Madhya Pradesh, India.
    Acute_Child_Malnutrition_India_02.JPG
  • A boy is standing inside the affected village of Bagega, pop. 9000, Zamfara State, Nigeria, next to a large artisanal gold processing site. The lead contamination in the area is caused by ingestion and breathing of lead particles, released in the steps to isolate the gold from other metals. This type of lead is soluble in stomach acid and children under-5 are most affected, as they tend to ingest more through their hands by touching the ground, and are developing symptoms often leading to death or serious disabilities.
    Young_Villagers_Bagega_Zamfara_Portr...JPG
  • A boy is standing inside the affected village of Bagega, pop. 9000, Zamfara State, Nigeria, next to a large artisanal gold processing site. The lead contamination in the area is caused by ingestion and breathing of lead particles, released in the steps to isolate the gold from other metals. This type of lead is soluble in stomach acid and children under-5 are most affected, as they tend to ingest more through their hands by touching the ground, and are developing symptoms often leading to death or serious disabilities.
    Young_Villagers_Bagega_Zamfara_Portr...JPG
  • A boy is standing inside the affected village of Bagega, pop. 9000, Zamfara State, Nigeria, next to a large artisanal gold processing site. The lead contamination in the area is caused by ingestion and breathing of lead particles, released in the steps to isolate the gold from other metals. This type of lead is soluble in stomach acid and children under-5 are most affected, as they tend to ingest more through their hands by touching the ground, and are developing symptoms often leading to death or serious disabilities.
    Young_Villagers_Bagega_Zamfara_Portr...JPG
  • A girl is standing inside the affected village of Bagega, pop. 9000, Zamfara State, Nigeria, next to a large artisanal gold processing site. The lead contamination in the area is caused by ingestion and breathing of lead particles, released in the steps to isolate the gold from other metals. This type of lead is soluble in stomach acid and children under-5 are most affected, as they tend to ingest more through their hands by touching the ground, and are developing symptoms often leading to death or serious disabilities.
    Young_Villagers_Bagega_Zamfara_Portr...JPG
  • A member of the AVCC (Anti-Violence Crime Cell) is portrayed while at their headquarters in Karachi, Pakistan. The AVCC is a special police unit mostly involved in anti-terrorism operations and kidnap cases in the city and its vicinity.
    Protecting_Karachi_Alex_Masi_Pakista...JPG
  • Members of the AVCC, (Anti-Violence Crime Cell) a special police unit mostly involved in anti-terrorism operations and kidnapping cases in the city of Karachi, are collecting their weapons from the AVCC armory in central Karachi in preparation of a night raid on the outskirts of the city searching for a kidnap suspect.
    Protecting_Karachi_Alex_Masi_Pakista...JPG
  • High-rise buildings mainly housing expensive apartments and shopping malls have grown very rapidly in Pakistan's main economic and financial hub, Karachi, under the recent leadership of Syed Mustafa Kamal, its mayor. Mr Kamal, 36, who was short-listed for the 2010 World Mayor Prize, is courting foreign investment, encouraging international ties, and boosting the city's tourism.
    Protecting_Karachi_Alex_Masi_Pakista...JPG
  • Members of the Karachi Police are routinely patrolling the streets of the financial area of the city.
    Protecting_Karachi_Alex_Masi_Pakista...JPG
  • Two suspected kidnappers are being questioned on the spot inside a police car by members of the AVCC (Anti-Violence Crime Cell) and by the local police force in Thatta, on the outskirts of Karachi, while on his search for a hostage during a fake ransom meet up with the criminals. The AVCC is a special police unit mostly involved in anti-terrorism operations and kidnap cases.
    Protecting_Karachi_Alex_Masi_Pakista...JPG
  • Recruits of the the Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Elite Police Training Center, a commando and anti-terrorism academy on the outskirts of Karachi, are exercising and simulating extreme actions on a high tower located on the premises. The training center was founded by retired colonel Abdul Wahid Khan, a brave officer who served as a gunship helicopter pilot in the Pakistani Air Force and around the globe with the United Nations, but who's first task as a young army officer in 1979 was to train Afghan Mujahedeen to fight the Soviet Army, the very Mujahedeen that are today's Taleban.
    Protecting_Karachi_Alex_Masi_Pakista...JPG
  • Azita Arif Nazimi, 25, (right) is presenting 'Family Live Show', a television program broadcasted live by Channel 1, an Afghan national television, in Kabul, Afghanistan. Her guest and other members of the show are sitting near Azita. .
    Performing_For_Freedom_Kabul_Afghani...JPG
  • Alka Sadat, 24, (centre), an award-winning documentary and fiction filmmaker, is smiling while sitting at her desk in Kabul, Afghanistan.
    Performing_For_Freedom_Kabul_Afghani...JPG
  • A section of Kabul, Afghanistan, is photographed from a helicopter flying over the city.
    Performing_For_Freedom_Kabul_Afghani...JPG
  • Azita Arif Nazimi, 25, (left) is presenting 'Family Live Show', a television program broadcasted live by Channel 1, an Afghan national television, in Kabul, Afghanistan.
    Performing_For_Freedom_Kabul_Afghani...JPG
  • Elaha Soroor, 20, (centre) a finalist for 'Afghan Star', a Tolo TV program similar to American Idol, is practising in her home in Kabul, Afghanistan. Elaha Soroor was a finalist of Afghan Star in the 2008-2009 edition but failed to win on the final night. Some believe she lost because of her gender, others believe because she is ethnically Hazara, a minority group constituting about 15% of Afghanistan's population with features similar to Mongolians, flat noses, broad faces and almond-shaped eyes. Hazaras are mostly Shia Muslims, as opposed to other Afghans who are for the most part Sunnis.
    Performing_For_Freedom_Kabul_Afghani...JPG
  • Leena Alam, 27, is sitting while waiting to be interviewed by a presenter of Channel 1, an Afghan national television, in Kabul, Afghanistan. Leena Alam is an American-born Afghan model, actress and filmmaker who has recently moved to Kabul to perform and promote emancipation and better rights for women in the country. She is also a UNAMA (United Nation Assistance Mission in Afghanistan) Peace Ambassador.
    Performing_For_Freedom_Kabul_Afghani...JPG
  • Jaume Sanllorente, the director general of Sonrisas de Bombay is lost in thoughts during the celebrations for the Hindu festival of Durga Puja by the entrance of a school run by the fast-growing Spanish NGO in Mumbai, India.
    Sonrisas_De_Bombay_Ngo_Alex_Masi_19.jpg
  • .A teacher is taking care of a child just arrived in the morning to the school run by the fast-growing Spanish NGO in Mumbai, India..
    Sonrisas_De_Bombay_Ngo_Alex_Masi_02.jpg
  • Zil, 23, from Poland, (right) is playing records at a party in the Ingram Avenue mansion, on Saturday, Oct. 6, 2007, in Hampstead, London, England, while a couple of ravers are preparing lines of the drug speed on his right. The 22-room mansion was last sold for UK£ 3.9M in 2002 and is now awaiting planning permissions to be demolished. Two new houses will soon be taking its place. Million Dollar Squatters is a documentary project in the lives of a peculiar group of squatters residing in three multi-million mansions in one of the classiest residential neighbourhoods of London, Hampstead Garden. The squatters' enthusiasm, their constant efforts to look after what has become their home, their ingenuity and adventurous spirit have all inspired me throughout the days and nights spent at their side. Between the fantasy world of exclusive Britain and the reality of squatting in London, I have been a witness to their unique story. While more than 100.000 properties in London still lay empty to this day, squatting provides a valid, and lawful alternative to paying Europe's most expensive rent prices, as well as offering the challenge of an adventurous lifestyle in the capital.
    MillionDollarSquatters44.jpg
  • Visitors at the just entered Winningon Road mansion are looking inside a cupboard found in a room entirely painted in white on Sunday, Oct. 21, 2007 in Hampstead, London, England. The residence, 89 Winnington Road, was former Indonesian President Haji Mohamed Suharto's top London mansion and was sold in 1999 for UK£ 9.5M when he was being investigated in his home country in regards to his fortune and extravagant lifestyle. Million Dollar Squatters is a documentary project in the lives of a peculiar group of squatters residing in three multi-million mansions in one of the classiest residential neighbourhoods of London, Hampstead Garden. The squatters' enthusiasm, their constant efforts to look after what has become their home, their ingenuity and adventurous spirit have all inspired me throughout the days and nights spent at their side. Between the fantasy world of exclusive Britain and the reality of squatting in London, I have been a witness to their unique story. While more than 100.000 properties in London still lay empty to this day, squatting provides a valid, and lawful alternative to paying Europe's most expensive rent prices, as well as offering the challenge of an adventurous lifestyle in the capital.
    MillionDollarSquatters31.JPG
  • Zil, 23, from Poland is affixing the Legal Warning used by squatters as a legal way to occupy a residence left empty on the window of the mansion in Wildwood Road on Saturday, June 23, 2007, in Hampstead, London, England. Situated opposite Hampstead Heath, North London's green jewel the average price for properties on this road reaches £ 2,500,000. Million Dollar Squatters is a documentary project in the lives of a peculiar group of squatters residing in three multi-million mansions in one of the classiest residential neighbourhoods of London, Hampstead Garden. The squatters' enthusiasm, their constant efforts to look after what has become their home, their ingenuity and adventurous spirit have all inspired me throughout the days and nights spent at their side. Between the fantasy world of exclusive Britain and the reality of squatting in London, I have been a witness to their unique story. While more than 100.000 properties in London still lay empty to this day, squatting provides a valid, and lawful alternative to paying Europe's most expensive rent prices, as well as offering the challenge of an adventurous lifestyle in the capital.
    MillionDollarSquatters22.JPG
  • Daniela, 26, from Romania, (left) is snapping a few pictures with her camera-phone inside the kitchen of the Ingram Avenue mansion on Saturday, June 16, 2007, in Hampstead, London, England. Nego, 31, (right) her Romanian partner is looking at her while Lulu, 33, another Romanian squatter (centre) is eating some food on the back. The 22-room mansion was last sold for UK£ 3.9M in 2002 and is now awaiting planning permissions to be demolished. Two new houses will soon be taking its place. Million Dollar Squatters is a documentary project in the lives of a peculiar group of squatters residing in three multi-million mansions in one of the classiest residential neighbourhoods of London, Hampstead Garden. The squatters' enthusiasm, their constant efforts to look after what has become their home, their ingenuity and adventurous spirit have all inspired me throughout the days and nights spent at their side. Between the fantasy world of exclusive Britain and the reality of squatting in London, I have been a witness to their unique story. While more than 100.000 properties in London still lay empty to this day, squatting provides a valid, and lawful alternative to paying Europe's most expensive rent prices, as well as offering the challenge of an adventurous lifestyle in the capital.
    MillionDollarSquatters18.JPG
  • Pete, 23, from Lincolnshire, is ready to spend the first night inside the just entered Winningon Road mansion on Friday, Oct. 19, 2007 in Hampstead, London, England. The dream residence, 89 Winnington Road, was former Indonesian President Haji Mohamed Suharto's top London mansion and was sold in 1999 for UK£ 9.5M when he was being investigated in his home country in regards to his fortune and extravagant lifestyle. Million Dollar Squatters is a documentary project in the lives of a peculiar group of squatters residing in three multi-million mansions in one of the classiest residential neighbourhoods of London, Hampstead Garden. The squatters' enthusiasm, their constant efforts to look after what has become their home, their ingenuity and adventurous spirit have all inspired me throughout the days and nights spent at their side. Between the fantasy world of exclusive Britain and the reality of squatting in London, I have been a witness to their unique story. While more than 100.000 properties in London still lay empty to this day, squatting provides a valid, and lawful alternative to paying Europe's most expensive rent prices, as well as offering the challenge of an adventurous lifestyle in the capital.
    MillionDollarSquatters08.JPG
  • A young man participating to the ultra-nationalistic Azovets children's camp is coughing hard during a physical and tactical training involving an obstacle course in a forest near the village of Buzova, 30 km west of Kiev, the capital of Ukraine.
    Children_of_Azov_Ukraine_06.JPG
  • A young man participating to the ultra-nationalistic Azovets children's camp is yelling energetically while being emotionally charged by his instructor, during a tactical training in a forest near the village of Buzova, 30 km west of Kiev, the capital of Ukraine.
    Children_of_Azov_Ukraine_05.JPG
  • Youngsters participating to the ultra-nationalistic Azovets children's camp are taking part to a tactical training with dummy weapons in an abandoned building near the village of Buzova, 30 km west of Kiev, the capital of Ukraine.
    Children_of_Azov_Ukraine_03.JPG
  • A young boy participating to the ultra-nationalistic Azovets children's camp is being disciplined and required to hold a genuine assault rifle over his head, near the village of Buzova, 30 km west of Kiev, the capital of Ukraine.
    Children_of_Azov_Ukraine_02.JPG
  • At the call of a team's leader, youngsters participating to the ultra-nationalistic Azovets children's camp are responding with their slogan during a daily ceremony on the banks of the Dnieper river, in Kiev, Ukraine's capital.
    Children_of_Azov_Ukraine_01.JPG
  • A young boy participating to the ultra-nationalistic Azovets children's camp is holding a kalashnikov rifle and learning about its basic maintenance and care, on the banks of the Dnieper river in Kiev, Ukraine's capital.
    001_Nationalists_Children_Ukraine.JPG
  • Youngsters participating to the ultra-nationalistic Azovets children's camp are testing their laser-guns ahead of a teams battle, on the banks of the Dnieper river, in Kiev, Ukraine's capital.
    025_Nationalists_Children_Ukraine.JPG
  • Youngsters participating to the ultra-nationalistic Azovets children's camp are having fun sunbathing on the grass, after tactical training on the banks of the Dnieper river, in Kiev, Ukraine's capital.
    020_Nationalists_Children_Ukraine.JPG
  • An instructor at the ultra-nationalistic Azovets children's camp is bonding with participants after martial arts training, on the banks of the Dnieper river, in Kiev, Ukraine's capital.
    019_Nationalists_Children_Ukraine.JPG
  • Youngsters participating to the ultra-nationalistic Azovets children's camp are listening attentively to their laser-gun instructor, on the banks of the Dnieper river in Kiev, Ukraine's capital.
    012_Nationalists_Children_Ukraine.JPG
  • A boy participating to the ultra-nationalistic Azovets children's camp is lying on the grass, exhausted at the end of a laser-gun teams battle on the banks of the Dnieper river, in Kiev, Ukraine's capital.
    008_Nationalists_Children_Ukraine.JPG
  • Around the evening fire, a boy is introducing himself to the other youngsters participating to the ultra-nationalistic Azovets children's camp, on the banks of the Dnieper river in Kiev, Ukraine's capital.
    004_Nationalists_Children_Ukraine.JPG
  • Kachur, 13, originally from the city of Kharkiv, eastern Ukraine, is participating to the nationalist Azov Battalion Summer Children's Camp near the village of Buzova, 10 km west of Kiev, the capital of Ukraine. This is Kachur's second time at an Azov summer camp.
    20_Kachur_AZOV_Uraine.JPG
  • Kachur, 13, originally from the city of Kharkiv, eastern Ukraine, is participating to the nationalist Azov Battalion Summer Children's Camp near the village of Buzova, 10 km west of Kiev, the capital of Ukraine. This is Kachur's second time at an Azov summer camp.
    19_Kachur_AZOV_Uraine.JPG
  • Kachur, 13, originally from the city of Kharkiv, eastern Ukraine, is participating to the nationalist Azov Battalion Summer Children's Camp near the village of Buzova, 10 km west of Kiev, the capital of Ukraine. This is Kachur's second time at an Azov summer camp.
    16_Kachur_AZOV_Uraine.JPG
  • Kachur, 13, originally from the city of Kharkiv, eastern Ukraine, is participating to the nationalist Azov Battalion Summer Children's Camp near the village of Buzova, 10 km west of Kiev, the capital of Ukraine. This is Kachur's second time at an Azov summer camp.
    15_Kachur_AZOV_Uraine.JPG
  • Kachur, 13, originally from the city of Kharkiv, eastern Ukraine, is participating to the nationalist Azov Battalion Summer Children's Camp near the village of Buzova, 10 km west of Kiev, the capital of Ukraine. This is Kachur's second time at an Azov summer camp.
    09_Kachur_AZOV_Uraine.JPG
  • Kachur, 13, originally from the city of Kharkiv, eastern Ukraine, is participating to the nationalist Azov Battalion Summer Children's Camp near the village of Buzova, 10 km west of Kiev, the capital of Ukraine. This is Kachur's second time at an Azov summer camp.
    08_Kachur_AZOV_Uraine.JPG
  • The chairman of a large artisanal gold processing site near Bagega, pop. 9000, Zamfara State, Nigeria, is exhibiting classy shoes while standing among his workers. The lead contamination is caused by ingestion and breathing of particles released in the steps to isolate the gold from other metals. This type of lead is soluble in stomach acid and children under-5 are most affected, as they tend to ingest more through their hands by touching the ground, and are developing symptoms often leading to death or serious disabilities.
    Stories_Portfolio_037.JPG
  • Boys are wandering around Bagega, pop. 9000, a large village affected by lead poisoning due to the unsafe techniques employed for extracting gold, in Zamfara State, Nigeria. It is mainly caused by ingestion and breathing of lead particles released in the steps to isolate the gold from other metals. This type of lead is soluble in stomach acid and children under-5 are most affected, as they tend to ingest more through their hands by touching the ground, and are developing symptoms often leading to death or serious disabilities.
    48_Zamfara_Gold_Lead.JPG
  • Unlicensed miners are extracting ore containing gold, and other metals like lead, to be sold and processed in artisanal sites near Dareta village, Zamfara State, Nigeria. On October 28, 2011, in this very same mining site, four workers died buried under the ground when a pit suddenly collapsed. The lead contamination is caused by ingestion and breathing of lead particles released in the steps to isolate the gold from other metals. This type of lead is soluble in stomach acid and children under-5 are most affected, as they tend to ingest more through their hands by touching the ground, and are developing symptoms often leading to death or serious disabilities.
    43_Zamfara_Gold_Lead.JPG
  • Men are preparing Halal meat in Bagega, pop. 9000, a large village affected by lead poisoning due to the unsafe techniques employed for extracting gold, in Zamfara State, Nigeria. It is mainly caused by ingestion and breathing of lead particles released in the steps to isolate the gold from other metals. This type of lead is soluble in stomach acid and children under-5 are most affected, as they tend to ingest more through their hands by touching the ground, and are developing symptoms often leading to death or serious disabilities.
    42_Zamfara_Gold_Lead.JPG
  • A man is pushing the goat's blood out of the animal's body, while preparing Halal meat in Bagega, pop. 9000, a large village affected by lead poisoning due to the unsafe techniques employed for extracting gold, in Zamfara State, Nigeria. It is mainly caused by ingestion and breathing of lead particles released in the steps to isolate the gold from other metals. This type of lead is soluble in stomach acid and children under-5 are most affected, as they tend to ingest more through their hands by touching the ground, and are developing symptoms often leading to death or serious disabilities.
    34_Zamfara_Gold_Lead.JPG
  • Children are collecting underground water from a hand-pump in Bagega, pop. 9000, a large village affected by lead poisoning due to the unsafe techniques employed for extracting gold, in Zamfara State, Nigeria. It is mainly caused by ingestion and breathing of lead particles released in the steps to isolate the gold from other metals. This type of lead is soluble in stomach acid and children under-5 are most affected, as they tend to ingest more through their hands by touching the ground, and are developing symptoms often leading to death or serious disabilities.
    31_Zamfara_Gold_Lead.JPG
  • A guard, a middlemen and two young workers are inspecting the gold retrieved on behalf of a gold trader, (in green) in an artisanal gold processing site near Bagega, pop. 9000, a large village affected by lead poisoning due to the unsafe techniques employed for extracting gold, in Zamfara State, Nigeria. The contamination is caused by ingestion and breathing of lead particles released in the steps to isolate the gold from other metals. This type of lead is soluble in stomach acid and children under-5 are most affected, as they tend to ingest more through their hands by touching the ground, and are developing symptoms often leading to death or serious disabilities.
    24_Zamfara_Gold_Lead.JPG
  • A mother is sitting with her children inside the Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF - Doctors Without Borders) clinic in Anka, Zamfara State, Nigeria, handling serious cases of lead poisoning referred to them by local clinics in the surrounding villages. It is mainly caused by ingestion and breathing of lead particles released in the steps to isolate the gold from other metals. This type of lead is soluble in stomach acid and children under-5 are most affected, as they tend to ingest more through their hands by touching the ground, and are developing symptoms often leading to death or serious disabilities. The treatment with MSF starts when blood lead level (BLL) samples reach 45 micrograms per decilitre. The Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that a BLL of 5 micro-g/dL or above is a cause for concern. The cycle of medicines lasts for 20 days. After that, the child's blood is tested and a new round of treatment is provided. Treatment can last years, as lead is reduced in the blood, but it persists noticeably within the bones, especially if the patients return to the same polluted environment. Remediation of the affected villages, a campaign of awareness, and the introduction of safer mining techniques are pivotal to the long-term solution of a hazardous trend that has already killed over 460 children, and it is bound to grow in size, fostered by the ever-rising price of gold.
    17_Zamfara_Gold_Lead.JPG
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