May 29, 2010
Poverty gap
A cousin who has lived in Chicago since he was four years old recently came to the Philippines to visit and he told me that one of the things he noticed about Metro Manila was the great disparity between the rich and the poor here. Which reminded me of this photo I took last year and meant to use for the October 2009 CDP theme day, Contrast. I ended up not using it because I thought it was too depressing to use for theme day and also because we had just been devastated by typhoon Ketsana, known locally as Ondoy, and I wanted to post something about it. But my cousin is right. All big cities everywhere have to struggle with the problems of homelessness, but nowhere is the poverty gap more evident than in the megalopolises of third world countries, where luxurious modern skyscrapers stand side by side with sprawling slums and shanty towns. I did not see which Filipino fashion designer owns this atelier, but it is in front of Penguin Café Gallery in the City of Manila.
beautiful shot, Hilda.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you used it now. Good shot, yes despressing, but thought provoking too.
ReplyDeleteThis picture is sharp and subtle at the same time. It shows delicately a painful reality but poverty gap is everywhere. For instance, that is one of the major problems of chilean society but nobody knows how to solve it yet
ReplyDeleteSad, but true. Even smaller cities have to address the issue of homelessness, without the designer clothng though.
ReplyDeleteI'm also glad that you used this picture. You've done an excellent job of capturing the contrast between wealth and poverty while at the same time creating a work of art. Very well done!
ReplyDeleteYou might wonder how many times one "stumbles" over such sights over here. There are about forthy such pictures I took within less than half a year, mostly within streets with banks, hotels, shopping malls, makes one wonder indeed. Impressive photography. Thank you for sharing an honest moment.
ReplyDeletePlease have a nice start into the weekend.
daily athens
Powerful capture Hilds... need not to say more... Happy Weekend.
ReplyDeletesame here in USA, and the gap is widening as the middle class is crunched
ReplyDeleteA poignant illustration of a sad fact.
ReplyDeleteGreat post, Hilda! Unfortunatelly this is something you can also find here!... The difference is we don't have the same temperatures and homeless people need blankets for the cold which turns it even more depressing. We had two very cold weeks last winter and the subway kept its doors opened all night long to give them some shelter. Every single homeless is heartbreaking but when I see immigrants, surely illegal, in such situation I can imagine how they must feel for having left their countries to end like this!
ReplyDeleteEnjoy Toronto!
I try to remember to count my blessings - first of all is my health! I noticed the poverty gap while in Bangalore, India in February 2009!
ReplyDeleteHilda, it doesn't have to be a third world country. This image could have been taken on almost any street in San Francisco. That said, many point out that the current political situation in San Francisco in particular and California and the U.S. generally is turning us into a third world country.
ReplyDeleteVery true.
ReplyDeleteQuite touching... Having been born and brought up in Sao Paulo this is the kind of reality that is very vivid in my heart.
ReplyDeleteGod bless you!
Cezar
Thanks Hilda. Here is an example of an organisation we know not far from York that provides long-term accommodation, care and employment for vulnerable, homeless people in the north of England. There are many others, but the problem is huge.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.caringforlife.co.uk/
We're starting to see that here, too. Your photo says a lot.
ReplyDeleteA powerful photograph and not so different from what you'd find in Chicago or other cities in the U.S.
ReplyDeleteI read yesterday about some of the Wall Street barons who were earning $900,000 per HOUR!