Carolina Rapezzi
Carolina Rapezzi
Carolina Rapezzi
United Kingdom
United Kingdom
United Kingdom
Series: Burning Dreams
Series: Burning Dreams
Series: Burning Dreams
Project about the juvenile condition in the scrap yard of Agbogbloshie. Young men and women migrate from the North of Ghana looking for better job opportunities. Lack of appropriate education, unfortunate family circumstances or the urgency of a quick income, bring them to work in the junkyard, also known as one of the biggest electronic waste dumps in the world. Most of them start working in the burning areas, extracting raw materials (copper, alluminium, iron), by burning cables and appliances, for a few Ghanaian Cedis worth of tips. Workers are constantly exposed to toxic emissions, with no health and safety or environmental regulations. Rashida, Salasi, Gaffarou and Chief represent a generation facing the consequences of a failing disposal system, but still pursuing their dreams.
Rashida, a water seller, Agbogbloshie 2018.
Rashida, a water seller, Agbogbloshie 2018.
Rashida, a water seller, Agbogbloshie 2018.
Rashida is a young girl originally from the North of Ghana, she sells water in the scrap yard of Agbogbloshie. Along with other girls living in the area, she carries water bags into a wheelbarrow and sell them for 1 Ghanaian Cedi (the equivalent of £0,16) to workers who need to extinguish the fire and cool down the copper extracted from burning cables, wires and other appliances.
Rashida is a young girl originally from the North of Ghana, she sells water in the scrap yard of Agbogbloshie. Along with other girls living in the area, she carries water bags into a wheelbarrow and sell them for 1 Ghanaian Cedi (the equivalent of £0,16) to workers who need to extinguish the fire and cool down the copper extracted from burning cables, wires and other appliances.
Toulene barrels along the Odaw River. Sodom and Gomorrah 2018.
Toulene barrels along the Odaw River. Sodom and Gomorrah 2018.
Toulene barrels along the Odaw River. Sodom and Gomorrah 2018.
Toluene barrels dumped by the Odaw River, just opposite the Kilimanjaro burning area in the Agbogbloshie scrap yard. Several barrels of the same substance can be found both in the Sodom and Gomorrah slum and the scrapyard. Long exposure to toluene can cause brain and nervous system damages.
Toluene barrels dumped by the Odaw River, just opposite the Kilimanjaro burning area in the Agbogbloshie scrap yard. Several barrels of the same substance can be found both in the Sodom and Gomorrah slum and the scrapyard. Long exposure to toluene can cause brain and nervous system damages.
Gaffarou picking up metal scraps in the so called Kilimanjaro burning area. Agbogbloshie 2018.
Gaffarou picking up metal scraps in the so called Kilimanjaro burning area. Agbogbloshie 2018.
Gaffarou picking up metal scraps in the so called Kilimanjaro burning area. Agbogbloshie 2018.
Gaffarou burning cables and picking metal scraps from the ash in the Kilimanjaro burning area. Workers, including children and young men like Gaffarou, are constantly exposed to hazardous jobs without any health and safety regulation and, most of all, to toxic emissions coming from chemicals and substances contained in appliances, cables and wires. The earnings from the burning are meagre as workers are only paid in tips.
Gaffarou burning cables and picking metal scraps from the ash in the Kilimanjaro burning area. Workers, including children and young men like Gaffarou, are constantly exposed to hazardous jobs without any health and safety regulation and, most of all, to toxic emissions coming from chemicals and substances contained in appliances, cables and wires. The earnings from the burning are meagre as workers are only paid in tips.
Gaffarou burning cables in the so called Kilimanjaro burning area, Agbogbloshie 2018.
Gaffarou burning cables in the so called Kilimanjaro burning area, Agbogbloshie 2018.
Gaffarou burning cables in the so called Kilimanjaro burning area, Agbogbloshie 2018.
Gaffarou burning cables and appliances in the so called Kilimanaro burning area. Gaffarou arrived in Agbogbloshie in April 2018, he is originally from Savelugu. He’s 17 years old and he is the first born of three children. Gaffarou became deaf when he was a child and, because of this condition he could not attend school. At the moment he lives in the Sodom and Gomorrah slum with his friends Alasan, Farouk and Saidi, also workers in the burning area, but he can only communicate lipreading and gesticulating. He has never been diagnosing by a doctor. His dream is to save money enough to find a treatment that could make him hear and speak again and hopefully, become a mechanic.
Gaffarou burning cables and appliances in the so called Kilimanaro burning area. Gaffarou arrived in Agbogbloshie in April 2018, he is originally from Savelugu. He’s 17 years old and he is the first born of three children. Gaffarou became deaf when he was a child and, because of this condition he could not attend school. At the moment he lives in the Sodom and Gomorrah slum with his friends Alasan, Farouk and Saidi, also workers in the burning area, but he can only communicate lipreading and gesticulating. He has never been diagnosing by a doctor. His dream is to save money enough to find a treatment that could make him hear and speak again and hopefully, become a mechanic.
Workers burning cables and appliances in the so called Kilimanjaro burning area, Agbogbloshie 2018.
Workers burning cables and appliances in the so called Kilimanjaro burning area, Agbogbloshie 2018.
Workers burning cables and appliances in the so called Kilimanjaro burning area, Agbogbloshie 2018.
Workers burning cables, tires and parts of electrical appliances in the Kilimanjaro burning area. Big fires are set at night in order to extract as much raw material as possible, then go back in the morning and start picking up metal scraps to sell them during the day.
Workers burning cables, tires and parts of electrical appliances in the Kilimanjaro burning area. Big fires are set at night in order to extract as much raw material as possible, then go back in the morning and start picking up metal scraps to sell them during the day.
Salasi rapping his song “10 Times,” Sodom and Gomorrah slum 2018.
Salasi rapping his song “10 Times,” Sodom and Gomorrah slum 2018.
Salasi rapping his song “10 Times,” Sodom and Gomorrah slum 2018.
Salasi performing his song “10 Times” in occasion of a celebration for the boirth of a baby in the the Sodom and Gomorrah slum, right opposite the Agbogbloshie scrapyard. Salasi, 20 years old originally from Tamale and father of a two years old boy, Karim, moved to Accra five years ago, seeking for a better job after his father died. Since he arrived in the scrapyard he started rapping about the challenges that he and his friends have to overcome every day. His dream is to have his music recognized and make a living out of it.
Salasi performing his song “10 Times” in occasion of a celebration for the boirth of a baby in the the Sodom and Gomorrah slum, right opposite the Agbogbloshie scrapyard. Salasi, 20 years old originally from Tamale and father of a two years old boy, Karim, moved to Accra five years ago, seeking for a better job after his father died. Since he arrived in the scrapyard he started rapping about the challenges that he and his friends have to overcome every day. His dream is to have his music recognized and make a living out of it.
Chief resting in the so called Kilimanjaro burning area, Agbogbloshie 2018.
Chief resting in the so called Kilimanjaro burning area, Agbogbloshie 2018.
Chief resting in the so called Kilimanjaro burning area, Agbogbloshie 2018.
Chief has been the first one, among a group of friends grown up in Tamale, to come to Agbogbloshie, five years ago. Son of farmers, he learnt sewing and tailoring from a family friend. His dream is to move back to Tamale and become a professional tailor, however, earnings from burning are often not enough, as they are paid in tips and, at the moment, he is also selling marijuana for 1 Ghanaian Cedi per dose.
Chief has been the first one, among a group of friends grown up in Tamale, to come to Agbogbloshie, five years ago. Son of farmers, he learnt sewing and tailoring from a family friend. His dream is to move back to Tamale and become a professional tailor, however, earnings from burning are often not enough, as they are paid in tips and, at the moment, he is also selling marijuana for 1 Ghanaian Cedi per dose.
Women gathered during the celebration of the birth of a baby, Sodom and Gomorrah slum 2018.
Women gathered during the celebration of the birth of a baby, Sodom and Gomorrah slum 2018.
Women gathered during the celebration of the birth of a baby, Sodom and Gomorrah slum 2018.
Caption: A group of women takes part to a celebration for the birth of a baby in the southern part of the Sodom and Gomorrah slum. In this occasion women wear traditional clothes and, usually, a similar pattern identify members of a family or an area of the slum.
Caption: A group of women takes part to a celebration for the birth of a baby in the southern part of the Sodom and Gomorrah slum. In this occasion women wear traditional clothes and, usually, a similar pattern identify members of a family or an area of the slum.
A young man lifting his arms following the music before the celebration of the birth of a baby, Sodom and Gomorrah slum 2018.
A young man lifting his arms following the music before the celebration of the birth of a baby, Sodom and Gomorrah slum 2018.
A young man lifting his arms following the music before the celebration of the birth of a baby, Sodom and Gomorrah slum 2018.
A guy lifts his hands following the music during the celebration of the birth of a baby, in the southern part of Sodom and Gomorrah slum. In this occasion women wear traditional clothes and, usually, similar patterns identify members of the same family. Men instead, tend to wear more westernized sportswear outfits, inspired by the streetwear scene.
A guy lifts his hands following the music during the celebration of the birth of a baby, in the southern part of Sodom and Gomorrah slum. In this occasion women wear traditional clothes and, usually, similar patterns identify members of the same family. Men instead, tend to wear more westernized sportswear outfits, inspired by the streetwear scene.
Toners waiting to be dismantled or burnt, Agbogbloshie 2018.
Toners waiting to be dismantled or burnt, Agbogbloshie 2018.
Toners waiting to be dismantled or burnt, Agbogbloshie 2018.
Toners removed from printers and dumped on the ground, waiting to be dismantled, when it is possible to extract aluminum or cables, or just burnt.
Toners removed from printers and dumped on the ground, waiting to be dismantled, when it is possible to extract aluminum or cables, or just burnt.
