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| The Guatemalan flag and the Capital Building |
Just miles apart, the richest and poorest people in Guatemala go about their daily lives. One group picks through the trash in the city landfill. The others shop at Miraflores where a pair of jeans can cost over Q1,000.
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| Cathedral |
The average wage of a rural worker in Guatemala is Q25 per day, or about $3.25. The “wage” of those in extreme poverty is whatever they find sorting through the trash of the wealthy.
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| Door into the Capital |
There is essentially no middle class in Guatemala. The rich and the poor live side by side but virtually unseen by each other.
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| Landfill |
The woman with the boots by Prada and the purse by Gucci doesn’t realize that the bottle held in her diamond studded hand will be in the worn hands of another woman digging through the garbage tomorrow.
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| Graves |
We viewed the landfill through a cloud of vultures from a cliff far above. Behind us, the cemetery where the rich purchase land to entomb their loved ones in a peaceful, prominent dwelling. In front of us, the pit where the workers often spend the night in makeshift shelters among the waste to live another day in the shadow of the ones above.
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| Finding a livelihood |
A striking, painful reality.
How does my life compare?
Georges photos Leah! Hope everything is going well! :) Love you!
ReplyDeleteThank you!! Love you too!
ReplyDeleteMy sister went to Guatemala last year. She went to these exact same places. It was a life-changing experience!
ReplyDelete