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Homeless in Romania II
Published: 2006-09-12 16:00:57 +0000 UTC; Views: 17622; Favourites: 331; Downloads: 52
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Description
Liviu and Tenake, two homeless kids who live in the sewers of Brasov, Romania. During the day they come to the railway station to beg, to steal, to fight and to prostitute themselves. Sometimes they are calm and nice, sometimes they are aggressive and out of control. Most of the kids are ill in some way. Skin diseases from the horrible hygienic condition in the sewers, where they sleep amidst garbage and faeces. Missing fingers or a foot that froze off in winter. Genital diseases from prostitution and rape. Internal diseases from the lack of food and Aurolac, the glue they are high on all day long.When I took this picture they were hanging around in small groups at the railway station. Looking to grab a purse, waiting for the next paedophile. Begging for food and trying to pass time, hopefully getting through another day. The taller boy on the right, Tenake, had just stolen some cigarettes from a tourist. He had attacked me earlier that day, trying to steal my camera, but right now he was enjoying his small victory. Liviu, the other boy, was so high on Aurolac I don't think he knew what he was doing.
Pictures for editorial use and for the NGO "Helping Hands". Please contact me if you would like to make a donation to this NGO. They offer hot soup, soap, mental and dental assistance and some clothes to the kids. Now they are gathering funds to build a permanent shelter for the homeless in Brasov. Just the kids, that is.
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Comments: 146
i think i get the gist of your post, but my romanian isn't all _that_ good...
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sorry i didn'd know...i said that i like a lot your picture..but i can't 
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Wow, really?
How come? just curious... I see a chance to learn about a culture here I never knew about
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mmm is true...i hate gipsy so,,,,i don't wanna talk about them
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oh....that's it?
eh...okay then
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ah thanks. actually they were homeless street kids but not tziganes. i think. you probably know better than me.. but they weren't from a gipsy community.
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it will take more than pictures, you know. much more. maybe someday you'll see. although it would probably be just another thing you wished you'd never seen.
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yeah it will take more than pictures. so fucking what? no effort should be made, because it won't suffice anyway? better to sit back and pretend nothing is wrong then to try and perchance fail? is that what you're saying?
i teach immigrant children. i volunteer for socio-cultural organisations. i give my photography work for free to ngo's to raise money. and it works. so don't give me that pompous "maybe someday you'll see" attitude for no reason. I am trying at least, unlike most.
but, as you appear to know it oh so well, care to share your wisdom?
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i wasn't making a rude remark. (as you yourself did in return) i was simply pointing out that there were many attempts to "help" our country which only led to worse results. (many people were more interested in fucking the children instead of making their lives better. so my doubts on the intentions of the "helping hands" are based on actual facts) unfortunately "so fucking what" is not what i was expecting from a man who says he tries to help. it creates a sort of contradiction. and is really much less "pompous" but a little more offensive than what i was trying to say. i guess you either presumed i was condamning your desire to help or simply misunderstood completely what i said. you see, you state your point of view from the outside. i was born in romania. lived here all my life. i know it all too well and much better than you i'm pretty sure of that. it's my home and i'm not being a sarcastic. i'm not being a wise ass. i actually live next to the people in the sewers. i see them every single day of my life. and every single day it reminds me over and over how things go from bad to worse. i give them money. i give them food. but i can't give them a life. i don't care to share my wisdom. i don't care if you feel offended or not. it's great that you think of helping. but i think your remarks are really out of line. you actually think that for what you do you deserve some sort of prize? is it that being human so difficult these days that it should be stated as some sort of wonderous abillity that only "the chosen ones" posses? you are no different than me. for one exception. look out your window. do you see the same dying man i do? i'm not playing a victime here. and i'm not asking for pity. i liked your attitude in defending this cause, too bad you didn't pick the right persone to do that with... because the cause you defend so much is actually my entire life. of this "someday you'll see" i was refering to. but after reading your comment it became even clearer than "maybe" should be written with capital letters. good luck with whatever you do. i really wish you could be someone who can help. but i'm also a little sick of whishing.
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You may live in Romania, Brasov, Bucharest, I don't care; you're talking out of your ass if you're accusing the people of Helping Hands of sexually abusing the children. yes, there have been similar cases, but this is not one of them. period.
"maybe someday you'll see" is about the most pompous and arrogant thing to say to someone who is at least TRYING. Obviously you have all the wisdom as you're so keen to point out yourself. Why detract from the efforts of others? Why basically tell future 'helping hands' to fuck off? Because that's what your first reply comes down to. Maybe you didn't intend to... but it does.
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try to be a little more polite.
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you didn't understand a thing i said. NOTHING. and this is pointless. if you tried to prove you're an asshole you did a marvelous job. you basically insult me for being romanian. well this is just perfect. i don't have all the wisdom. buyt neither do you. try translating this : nu trebuia sa fii bou!
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i think you nailed it, by the way, when you said
"you actually think that for what you do you deserve some sort of prize? is it that being human so difficult these days that it should be stated as some sort of wonderous abillity that only "the chosen ones" posses? you are no different than me."
that's absolutely right. i'm no different than you, or the next guy/girl. but tell me, how does that stroke with "maybe some day you'll understand", if we're no different?
I don't believe in 'chosen ones'. i don't believe what i'm doing is special, deserves special recognition (the cause does, not me, which is why i'm having more than mixed feelings about the DD and people congratulating me about it) or attention. everyone can do it... everyone should do it. or at least make an effort - so that's why i was pretty pissed when you act all high and mighty about it. if you didn't intend to and misunderstood, why not try explaining it properly again?
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i didn't act all high and mighty about it. but maybe i got carried away a little. i'm just as pissed as you are on people who don't really understand the situation in romania. (but maybe a little more than you because it is my home) so i thought it was unfair to ask me why i have such an opinion.
look, i think we both might have misunderstood each other at one point. we shouldn't fight on the subject of who's right or wrong and focus more on the problems that need to be fixed. it's just hard to tell people's genuine care these days...(most of them don't care) so let's not have a war here. since we're on the same side it would be pretty ridiculous. the DD is well deserved. i just hope it sends out the right message. and good luck with your future work. (honestly)
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"you basically insult me for being romanian"
nowhere did I say anything like that. you're right, this is pointless like this.
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this is great and sad either. Its horrible how kids try to survive with no hope for a better ending. Life can be the most beautiful Romance, but it provides also the best stuff for horror...
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this is not great. nor will it ever be. what's sad is you can't see that.
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I've meant the picture itself, neither the expression nor the background of it.
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i know. is just that when you see this every day it somehow loses the appeal even in a very artistic photo. it's the subject that bothers me. not the "greatness" of the composition. it is a very good picture. however it is unfortunately a very "real" one for me.
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and unfortunately too less people know that...even I can't really tell you...
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yeah. it is a beautiful country. it really is. romanians need to be a bit more chauvinistic...
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that's really good photojournalism, both the picture and the description.
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thanks man!
sorry for the late reply. really been 'enjoying' your refugee camp series. overwhelming. intense.
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you're welcome, there is more to come...
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wonderful photo and accompanying commentary.
brave of you to go back after being attacked by him earlier.
gotta love a guy with guts.
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yeap, i really do it for the girls y'know?
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Brilliant capture !
i loved the way you described the story.
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the words underneath the photo really give it a powerful context. a haunting piece of journalistic work!
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ITs heart renching that humans have to live like this, this body of work is important, it means something. I cant imagine what it must have been like.
Amazing man, amazing.
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You capture the personalities well here. Great shot.
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