Sobreviviendo entre Luz y Sombras – Fabio Teixeira

Women and unemployed men recycle trash to find copper, iron, aluminum, and also toys to repair and donate to children. These anonymous workers are victims of racism and violence, and they suffer from illnesses caused by the trash. Two people have already died as a result.

They work in the outskirts of city communities and are often homeless. They face police violence and extortion, and their daily lives are a struggle for survival.

Leptospirosis, an acute febrile infectious disease, is one of the threats they face. This disease is transmitted through direct or indirect exposure to the urine of infected animals, primarily rats, carrying the Leptospira bacteria. Infection can occur through broken skin or through intact skin submerged for long periods in contaminated water.

In this urban wasteland, the razor’s edge is just the beginning of their challenges.