Waiting for Dawn

In the past 4 years a small village grew in the heart of Rio de Janeiro. Based on a huge financial crises and a political unstable environment, built with cardboard and old blankets, this settlement with more dwellers than 3187 - out of 5570 - brazilian municipalities slides through Rio everyday on market carts and inside backpacks. 14279 people are facing homelessness in Rio, the number is three times bigger than in 2013, at least is what the last research made by the county says. While people have to stay on the move because the city guard stops them to establish a fix camp - and take all their belongings if they attempt to -, the city shelters offers only 2000 vacancies, forcing people to live in subhuman conditions on the streets of one of the most violent cities in the world. While we walked downtown, I was introduced to the slang/concept ‘Dark Street’, meaning a path of self degradation that could be caused by loneliness, depression, despair, hunger, vices, illness, the feeling of lost dignity, and so on… For most, who are on the street and has to earn each day at a time, without knowing what will be tomorrow, to keep away of the Dark St. can be a tough mission. That’s why the essay was called ‘Waiting for Dawn’. Essay featured at the Leica Camera Blog > http://blog.leica-camera.com/2017/08/02/the-conscientious-traveler/