The Homeless of Humanity
To walk the streets of Rio de Janeiro, considered by many to be one of the most beautiful cities in the world, anyone with a heart must often avert their gaze from things that will fill them with despair. Few things reflect humanity's repeated failure to evolve more than homelessness. At a time when wealth and technology are skyrocketing, it has never been clearer that extreme poverty is not due to a lack of available resources.
The homeless population in Brazil has grown steadily in recent decades, approaching 300,000. In Rio, it is said that there are about 8,000 people living on the streets. Headlines with impressive numbers always appear, such as “Homeless population grows 211% in the last decade,” “Census identifies 7,865 homeless people in the city,” and “New government program provides assistance to homeless people.” But researching beyond the headlines and getting personally involved with the issues reveals a different story.
The homeless of humanity
Sick woman went blind from working with recyclable and industrial waste alongside her pet dog
The homeless of humanity
A woman s feet next to a decomposing dog s body
The homeless of humanity
Man who works with recyclable waste walks with a television found in the trash
The homeless of humanity
Woman collects trash that was in the sea waters in Guanabara Bay
The homeless of humanity
Man helping sick woman drink water woman fell ill from working with domestic and industrial waste
The homeless of humanity
Woman praying after a day of work sorting industrial and household waste
The homeless of humanity
Man carries recyclable waste on his head after a day s work
The homeless of humanity
Women sorting recyclable waste during their workday
The homeless of humanity
Nurse who helps homeless people putting eye drops in the eyes of a man who has eye diseases because of his work in the garbage
The homeless of humanity
Women who work with recyclable waste walk among flower petals after a day s work