Irenio

18-year-old Irenio and his 16-year-old sister Saquina head a family of children; the youngest, Miro, is 4 years old and is nicknamed “Michael Jackson” because he loves to dance. The children live on their own in two rooms (the third room is rented out for $10 per month for income) without electricity or running water. Their only other source of support is Reecontro, who provides them with rice and oil every two weeks and pays their school fees. They have a small yard where they bathe, cook and eat. Their yard ends at a smoking dump filled with children playing and turkeys scavenging for food.

The children lost their mother in March of 2007 to AIDS and they are still grieving that loss. Their father was killed in a fight in 2001. While their grandparents are still alive, they live in other provinces and the children have not had the money to visit them or to visit their father’s burial site.

Irenio and Saquina both attend school. Irenio’s favorite subject is science and he hopes be a mechanic when he graduates. He plays soccer and is excelling in English.

Irenio regularly dreams of his parents and feels that they visit him often. He worries about his sisters and wishes that they had a television in their home to keep them at home, and safe. Irenio loves his new skill of photography and likes to shoot photos of happy things that he can share with the world, such as the golf course near his house and kids practicing the martial art of Capoeira.

comments from website visitors:

Irenio: You have an uncommon eye for composition, color, lighting and interesting subject matter. I think "experienced hands" and "view from the back of the house" would earn first place prizes in any professional photo contest. I look forward to more.

Mary Howard
Delaware, Ohio
Posted Tuesday, August 14, 2007 11:44AM

Irenio: Yes, your mother was beautiful and she would be proud of you, Saquina - your whole family and these wonderful photos. Thanks for these images and sharing them. /ejs

elise atearthlinkdotnet
Memphis TN
Posted Thursday, August 09, 2007 11:39AM