Children of Brazilian Streets


The violence of poverty has claimed the lives of thousands of Brazilian children. Assessments suggest that between 7 and 8 million children, ages 5 to 18 live and/or work on the streets of urban Brazil.

The children on the streets are often either children who work on the streets or children who ran away from home or were abused because the family is unable to maintain normal family unity. The smallest group of street children is the group of abandoned children. The reason why they were abandoned is either because their parents died or simply because the family is unable to look after them because of their family circumstances. It is said that 23% of the children left home because of abuse.
Living on the streets is dangerous. The kids are subject to police brutality - so called “Death Squads” - rape, violence and being forced into prostitution. They have serious health problems and a way to escape and forget life’s cruelty often makes children take drugs. An easily accessible way is to sniff “glue”.
Viviane Moos is an award winning photojournalist. She spent time in Brazil following children of the streets from 1991 to 1994. She gained the children’s trust by spending several weeks together with them.
Viviane Moos is currently making the ending of her story about the children. She has returned to Brazil to follow up with those she knew and find out what further happened to them. 

To view her project, look here: 
Viviane Moos - Brazilian Street Diary
To read more about her story, go to:  
Women's Review of Books

Other info:
NCBI 
Living on the Streets: The Street Children of Brazil 





"Here is one of my images representing the use of glue within child street gangs in Brazil."

"Secura is overcome by a sudden pain from the glue"



"Street Nomads of Rio. Junior shows frustrations of being invisible to the world"





















Written by Tanja Nikoline Ankerstjerne

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