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  • 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
  • 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
  • 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
  • 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 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. 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
  • 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
  • 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
  • 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. 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 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
  • 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 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
  • 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
  • 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.
    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
  • 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 goldsmith in Gusau, capital of Zamfara State, Nigeria, is burning sulphuric acid and gold, in order to remove last impurities. The lead contamination in artisanal gold extraction 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.
    07_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
  • 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
  • Ritu Gaur, 13, (centre) is playing Ball Relay 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
  • 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
  • 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) 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
  • Mayuri Mahesh Pandit, 13, (right - next to the door) is participating to 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_25.JPG
  • Mayuri Mahesh Pandit, 13, (centre) is participating to 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_24.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
  • 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 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
  • 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
  • Jaume Sanllorente, the director general of Sonrisas de Bombay is overseeing a lesson at a school run by the fast-growing Spanish NGO in Mumbai, India.
    Sonrisas_De_Bombay_Ngo_Alex_Masi_07.jpg
  • Some squatters and other friends are staying in the same room to keep warm after having ran out of petrol for their generator on Sunday, Oct. 7, 2007, in the Ingram Avenue mansion, Hampstead, London, England. Some of them are playing chess at candlelight, while others are just relaxing on the bed after a party has been going on the night before. 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.
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  • The 22-room mansion in Ingram Avenue is pictured at night when lit by a large fire set up by Lukatz, 23, from Poland, in order to get rid of garbage and old or broken furniture, on Tuesday, Sep. 25, 2007, in Hampstead, London, England. 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.
    MillionDollarSquatters29.JPG
  • Two friends of Calin, one of the squatters living in the Wildwood Road mansion, Karina, 28, from Poland, (left) and Meshell, 36, from England, (centre) are laughing in the living room during a warm summer afternoon, while Pete, 23, from Lincolnshire, (right) is shaving his head, on Sunday, Aug. 5, 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.
    MillionDollarSquatters28.jpg
  • Calin, 30, from Romania, (right), Zil, 23, and Lukatz, 23, (centre and left) from Poland are busy clearing the driveway to the mansion in Wildwood Road and making general repairs on Saturday, June 16, 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.
    MillionDollarSquatters11.jpg
  • Boys participating to the ultra-nationalistic Azovets children's camp are reading and singing songs written on their induction book, while sitting together around the evening bonfire, on the banks of the Dnieper river in Kiev, Ukraine's capital.
    Children_of_Azov_Ukraine_10.JPG
  • A young girl participating to the ultra-nationalistic Azovets children's camp is practicing shooting with a professional simulator, while assisted by Gold, 27, her instructor, on the floor of a former tank factory, now functioning as training base and repairs workshop near the village of Buzova, 30 km west of Kiev, the capital of Ukraine.
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  • After strenuous physical training, a young man (top right) participating to the ultra-nationalistic Azovets children's camp is washing his clothes alongside two instructors, while standing in a water pond near the village of Buzova, 30 km west of Kiev, the capital of Ukraine.
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  • 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.
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  • 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.
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  • 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.
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  • 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.
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  • Youngsters participating to the ultra-nationalistic Azovets children's camp are attending a regular ceremony while chanting patriotic slogans with their fists up against their hearts, on the banks of the Dnieper river in Kiev, Ukraine's capital.
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  • Youngsters participating to the ultra-nationalistic Azovets children's camp are learning about combat wounds and rapid first-aid response on the battlefield, during training on the banks of the Dnieper river in Kiev, Ukraine's capital.
    029_Nationalists_Children_Ukraine.JPG
  • Alongside his instructor, a young boy participating to the ultra-nationalistic Azovets children's camp is learning how to assemble and disassemble a kalashnikov rifle, on the banks of the Dnieper river in Kiev, Ukraine's capital.
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  • Youngsters participating to the ultra-nationalistic Azovets children's camp are standing around Azov flags, on the banks of the Dnieper river in Kiev Ukraine's capital.
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  • 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.
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  • Tarakan, 15, a girl participating to the ultra-nationalistic Azovets children's camp, is collecting flowers for celebrations of Ivan Kupala Day, a folkloristic tradition relating to solstice and fertility, on the banks of the Dnieper river, in Kiev, Ukraine's capital.
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  • Girls participating to the ultra-nationalistic Azovets children's camp are sitting together, chatting and taking care of each other's hair, after a long day of  training on the banks of the Dnieper river, in Kiev, Ukraine's capital.
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  • 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.
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  • An instructor at the ultra-nationalistic Azovets children's camp is kicking the wooden rifle held by a youngster, participating to tactical training on the banks of the Dnieper river, in Kiev, Ukraine's capital.
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  • Youngsters participating to the ultra-nationalistic Azovets children's camp are wrestling each other during a break, on the banks of the Dnieper river, in Kiev, Ukraine's capital.
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  • 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
  • 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 holding a kalashnikov rifle while in a group learning session about its basic maintenance and care, on the banks of the Dnieper river in Kiev, Ukraine's capital.
    009_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
  • Boys participating to the ultra-nationalistic Azovets children's camp are reading and singing songs written on their induction book while sitting together around the evening fire, on the banks of the Dnieper river in Kiev, Ukraine's capital.
    006_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.
    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.
    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.
    17_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.
    13_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.
    10_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.
    07_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.
    06_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.
    05_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.
    04_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.
    03_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
  • Women with their children are sitting on the floor of 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 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.
    Stories_Portfolio_039.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
  • A boy is wandering 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.
    51_Zamfara_Gold_Lead.JPG
  • At sunset, a farmer is leading his heard and passing near an artisanal processing site in Abare, a village affected by lead poisoning due to the unsafe techniques employed for extracting gold, in Zamfara State, Nigeria. 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.
    50_Zamfara_Gold_Lead.JPG
  • Workers are washing ore dust, separating gold sediments from other metals, to later collect it by mixing it with mercury, 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 mercury recovered is then burned, revealing unpolished pieces of solid gold. It will be purified in Gusau, where goldsmiths will add sulphuric acid to refine the gold and remove all the impurities. 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.
    47_Zamfara_Gold_Lead.JPG
  • Doctors at M√©decins Sans Fronti√®res (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 ?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, alimented by the ever-rising price of gold.
    39_Zamfara_Gold_Lead.JPG
  • Women with their children are sitting on the floor of the MÈdecins Sans FrontiËres (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 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that a BLL of 5 ?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, alimented by the ever-rising price of gold.
    38_Zamfara_Gold_Lead.JPG
  • Mohammed Surajo, 30, is holding his only daughter, Naimaatu Surajo, 4, a girl suffering from permanent brain damage and blindness, in Abare, a village affected by lead poisoning due to the unsafe techniques employed for extracting gold, in Zamfara State, Nigeria. His wife Asnya lost six children: two miscarriages, and four while very young. Only her daughter Surajo was saved, but she survives as a suffering victim of lead pollution in the area. It 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. Nearby, in Anka, doctors from M√©decins Sans Fronti√®res (MSF - Doctors Without Borders) are treating serious cases of lead poisoning, referred to them by local clinics in the surrounding villages. 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 ?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, alimented by the ever-rising price of gold.
    37_Zamfara_Gold_Lead.JPG
  • Ibrahim Abubakar, 22, a man working in artisanal gold processing and mining, is holding his daughter, Fatima Abubakar, 1 year and 9 months. Ibrahim lost a two-yeal-old daughter Abdelmajid Abubakar, to lead poisoning, when he lived in a contaminated cluster of houses where 8 children died in a two-year spam. Fatima is healthy, as the families living in this heavily contaminated compound joined together and remediated the soil by removing tainted soil and replacing it. Many villagers in Zamfara state now claim to be working in agriculture, and to have nothing to do with gold, mainly because the health crisis that emerged. Given the lucrative option, locals believe that most people in the area are, in some way, involved in the gold business. 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. 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 ?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, alimented by the ever-rising price of gold.
    36_Zamfara_Gold_Lead.JPG
  • Ibrahim Abubakar, 22, a man working in artisanal gold processing and mining, lost his two-yeal-old daughter Abdelmajid Abubakar, to lead poisoning, when he lived in a contaminated cluster of houses where 8 children died in a two-year spam. He has now another daughter, Fatima Abubakar, 1 year and 9 months. She is healthy, as the families living in this heavily contaminated compound joined together and remediated the soil by removing tainted soil and replacing it. Many villagers in Zamfara state now claim to be working in agriculture, and to have nothing to do with gold, mainly because the health crisis that emerged. Given the lucrative option, locals believe that most people in the area are, in some way, involved in the gold business. 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. 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 ?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, alimented by the ever-rising price of gold.
    35_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
  • 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.
    30_Zamfara_Gold_Lead.JPG
  • Boys are playing soccer 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.
    29_Zamfara_Gold_Lead.JPG
  • Boys are playing pool 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.
    26_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 worker is smoking a cigarette on the ground, 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 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.
    23_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
  • 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
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Alex Masi Documentary Photography

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