I am a Danish photojournalist and multimedia producer. I do editorial photography, multimedia and film documentary. I am the founder of an international multimedia collective called Bombay Flying Club
Introduction
Ethiopia is a country rich in culture, history, culinary art - and street children. In the capital Addis Ababa more than 100.000 people live on the street - most of them children and youth. The children on the street live from meal to meal at the mercy of others. A life without rights and a life without may dreams and hopes. As an answer to this situation a young group of Ethiopians formed the organization Hope For Children (HFC) in Ethiopia in 1997. HFC does diaconal work among the homeless in the capital.
The story was shot in a week by Danish photojournalist Poul Madsen and Canadian visual journalist Brent Foster. They both work on commissioned stories as multimedia producers in the international and award winning multimedia collective Bombay Flying Club. These images are extracts from "Streetlight" - a 12-minute web documentary presented through still images and sound.
http://www.bombayfc.com/streetlight_uk/
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/ ADDIS ABABA
Addis Ababa, the Ethiopian capital, in early morning light seen from Entoto Mountain. Addis Ababa is the main destination for thousands of child slaves brought in from the poor and rural countryside.
Photograph by Poul Madsen / © Poul Madsen. All Rights Reserved.
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/ ADDIS ABABA
Mekane Yesus Church on Entoto road at the foot of the mountain. This is where the local members of the NGO meet up to pray several times a week.
Photograph by Poul Madsen / © Poul Madsen. All Rights Reserved.
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/ ADDIS ABABA
A young boy passing one of many churches in down town Addis Ababa. Ethiopia was one of the first Christian countries in the world, having officially adopted Christianity as the state religion in the 4th century. It still has a Christian majority, but a third of the population is Muslim.
Photograph by Poul Madsen / © Poul Madsen. All Rights Reserved.
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A homeless boy high on Khat. The widespread use and consumption of Khat is a huge problem in Ethiopia as well as in neighboring countries like Somalia, Djibouti, Eritrea and Yemen. Most of the street children in Addis are adicted to chewing the plant as it induces mild euphoria but more importantly opresses hunger.
Photograph by Poul Madsen / © Poul Madsen. All Rights Reserved.
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Some of the more fortunate souls end up as taxi drivers in the busy capital. Others who are iliterate and who do not have families to support them have few options in life. HFC take care of some of the younger boys and girls in their various facilities but the children who are in need of help out number the lucky ones who are brought to the shelters to be fed.
Photograph by Poul Madsen / © Poul Madsen. All Rights Reserved.
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A homeless boy wrapped up in dirty blankets on Churchill Road – the city’s widest and busiest avenue. Addis Ababa is situated some 7630 feet above sea level and nights here are very cold. Ethiopia counts one of the largest populations of orphans in the world. An estimated 30% of girls between 10 and 14 years old are not living with their parents in Addis Ababa. Some work as child slaves while others end up in prostitution.
Photograph by Poul Madsen / © Poul Madsen. All Rights Reserved.
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Another young boy in his makeshift home - a tent made out of plastic and trash.
Photograph by Poul Madsen / © Poul Madsen. All Rights Reserved.
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Injera is eaten daily in virtually every household in Eritrea and Ethiopia. The homeless search for left overs in trash cans by the road side and share the meal right on the tarmac.
Photograph by Poul Madsen / © Poul Madsen. All Rights Reserved.
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The unemployment rate in Addis Ababa is sky high. A lot of the older boys do not have much to do. Some of them hang out on street corners and sell drugs to people who pass by.
Photograph by Poul Madsen / © Poul Madsen. All Rights Reserved.
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A group of former prostitute girls share a room at the NGO facility. Slowly they are taught how to live normal lives and become independent. The girls attend a beauty school, and are supported by NGO staff, so that they can start their own businesses and work for themselves after completing a 2 year rehabilitation program. Like in many African countries HIV/Aids is a huge problem and many young girls here fall victim to sexual exploitation.
Photograph by Poul Madsen / © Poul Madsen. All Rights Reserved.
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A little girl attends class in Gurara School on the outskirts of Addis Ababa. This is another initiative by the NGO - to give young boys and girls a basic education and second chance.
Photograph by Poul Madsen / © Poul Madsen. All Rights Reserved.
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Young girls in the forest on Entoto Mountain. These girls collect firewood and leaves for their employers who keep them as child slaves. Most of them are iliterate.
Photograph by Poul Madsen / © Poul Madsen. All Rights Reserved.
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10-year-old Alemtsahay works as a child slave on Entoto Mountain. She wakes up at 4am every morning and then hikes for 4 hours to reach the forests high above Addis Ababa. After collecting firewood and leaves she then carries the heavy load all the way down to her employer’s house. Thousands of young girls are brought to Addis Ababa from the country side each year to work like Alemtsahay. The girls are taken from their families and promised that they will go to school. Instead they end up as exploited child workers. And some of them never get to see their families again.
Photograph by Poul Madsen / © Poul Madsen. All Rights Reserved.
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HFC staff load food onto trucks at the main office. The food is handed out to the poor who live on the streets. Kids are given free food stamps so they can get a daily free meal.
Photograph by Poul Madsen / © Poul Madsen. All Rights Reserved.
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Temezgen Fenche has been saved by HFC and given a second chance in Freedom House - a facility run by the NGO that teaches the children how to weave so they can work and support themselves.
Photograph by Poul Madsen / © Poul Madsen. All Rights Reserved.
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Displaying 1 Comments
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Added Fri, Jul 16, 2010 - 09:28 am by Victor Acquah
One of the goals of African Lens is to serve as a platform of advocacy - for stories that need to be told. This is one of them. Hopefully, this story will generate enough interest to spur more action / help towards the street kids here.
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