This photo is a portrait of lady in Hillbrow (Johannesburg, South Africa) shielding herself from the harsh african sun while selling Mielies (corn on the cob) to passerby's for a very small amount.

 

Street traders like this in Hillbrow are the result of the extremely dense population of people from all over Africa that have come to Johannesburg try and find opportunity and a better life, a misconception because this hardly ever happens. 

 

If police are near by each seller pick's up their good's and makes a run for it to avoid having their stock confiscated. The direct result of lack of provision and intervention by the government.

A township scene on the outskirts of Johannesburg. This is a village comprised of refugees from Zimbabwe that have come to Johannesburg to find a better life, only to be disappointed and foxed to live in shoddy structures that could collapse at any minute. 

 

The residents of this village have to try their best to live in secret, because although they may be in the country legally, they are not allowed to live on any land permanently. 

 

Some residents have been living here in neglect for up to 18 years, and still resting on the promise that Johannesburg has something to offer them that is better than the oppression they feel in their home land.

A portrait of a home owner looking very proud of his make-shift shack that he has constructed out of desperation for a shelter. This man is from zimbabwe and is living in Johannesburg illegally. 

 

He has been living here in secret with his whole family and seems to be in contentment with the fact that there is not much promise of a bright future for him or his children.

A photo of children playing in the sand. These children live in a township that was constructed by Zimbabwean refugees that have come here under the impression that they will find a better life in Johannesburg but have been left disappointed and in intense poverty. 

 

After looking at this photo I felt compassion for these children because what if one of these children has the potential to change the world yet is not afforded the opportunity by anyone. The most likely result of children living in poverty is just continued poverty.

These two young boys were playing in the street of a township that was constructed by Zimbabwean refugees who are living in secret in fear of being deported back to their home where they would be under even more oppression. 

 

They asked me if I could "shoot" them, so I did. It's amazing that if a child wants to look good their immediate reaction is to smile.

 

It is a beautiful thing that these two boys are so happy and at peace even though there is not much of a promise of a future for them, especially because they are not native South Africans.

This photo is taken in Braamfontein - one of Johannesburg's first districts after the discovery of gold in the area in 1886. 

 

This alleyway is just off the street and is often used as a toilet for passer by's, being out of view and having no choice but to urinate on the street due to a lack of public a ablutions, one cannot blame these local people.

Also taken in Braamfontein, this picture is of a man that is one of many people ho push around large trolleys and dig through everyone's trash in search of plastic to drop off at a recycling plant to try and make a small amount of money to try and get by.