Canon 5D, 27 mm, ISO 200, 1/13 sec @ f/4.0
I wrote a couple of posts over at Partner West Africa about a place in Accra, the capital of Ghana called Agbogbloshie. Known locally as Sodom and Gommorah, the place really has to be visited to be believed.
A strong contender for one of the most polluted places on Earth, the 4 acre slum is home to around 40,000 people. The prospect of earning a living attracts people and despite the obvious hardships, the place is a thriving and bustling suburb with a steady stream of new arrivals.
For women, most of the jobs are at the nearby market where they earn money by working as porters, carrying purchases on top of their heads in a large bowl. This is a double-edged sword however – they need to work to earn a wage but they also need to look after their children.
A local lady named Amina offers a facility in her home when the mothers can drop their child off in the morning and collect them after work. They pay Amina a basic fee and Amina provides a safe haven.
A local NGO, VWA Volunteer West Africa has sought to provide assistance to Amina in the form of food and nappies for the children she looks after. Some of the funds raised by Partner West Africa fund these efforts.
As a Trustee of Partner West Africa I was lucky enough to visit Amina in December 2014 with Chrissy, another Trustee, pictured above with one of the little children who make use of Amina’s facility.