Young Adult by Ryszard Wierzbicki
In the Smokey Mountain community, the eldest daughter usually plays the role of a substitute mother at home for younger siblings. Surprisingly, children living in slums do not download any education. Often, the only teaching that children experience here is the street life school. This girl has negligible chances to break free from slums.
Portrait by Ryszard Wierzbicki
I took this portrait of this gentleman before entering the Smokey Mountain slums. He was standing on the street, watching the traffic around the Manila port, where many shipping and freight companies have their branches. He probably had some experience working on the waterfront. The penetrating gaze and the expressiveness of his face made me want to press the shutter trigger.
A Walking Girl by Ryszard Wierzbicki
One thing that stands out when exploring the slums around Smokey Mountain in Manila is the number of children living there. I started my tour on a Friday morning, when children would normally be in school. Here, children were everywhere. Which is a sign that they did not attend any school at all. The photo above shows one such child wandering the streets.