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Life at Brazilian backlands

My Scholarship entry - Life at Brazilian backlands

Can you picture yourself living in a place where the nearest neighbour lives 15km away from you? Neither did Da Silva, until her husband asked her to live in the Brazilian hinterlands, also know as Sertão. Suddenly she saw herself leaving her hometown in the north of Minas Gerais, Brazil, to a complete isolated place. They build their home with bricks made of anthill sand and collected water from a stream nearby. And despite the fact there was no electricity or sanitation, they were doing fine until a one day, when both faced the biggest fear of living isolated brings: sickness. After having successive heart attacks in a week, Da Silva husband passed away.

The only way Da Silva found not to drown in depression was to start working as a nanny for her ‘closest’ neighbours. This is how she met Bruna, the milkman’s daughter. Bruna’s mother worked as a planter and couldn’t take care of her daughter until the night comes. This is when Da Silva met Bruna, when she was only two years old. Eight years has passed and Bruna calls Da Silva granny while hugging her by the woman’s house.

BRAZIL | Monday, 24 November 2014 | Views [548] | View Larger Image

Can you picture yourself living in a place where the nearest neighbour lives 15km away from you? Neither did Da Silva, until her husband asked her to live in the Brazilian hinterlands, also know as Sertão. Suddenly she saw herself leaving her hometown in the north of Minas Gerais, Brazil, to a complete isolated place. They build their home with bricks made of anthill sand and collected water from a stream nearby. And despite the fact there was no electricity or sanitation, they were doing fine until a one day, when both faced the biggest fear of living isolated brings: sickness. After having successive heart attacks in a week, Da Silva husband passed away. The only way Da Silva found not to drown in depression was to start working as a nanny for her ‘closest’ neighbours. This is how she met Bruna, the milkman’s daughter. Bruna’s mother worked as a planter and couldn’t take care of her daughter until the night comes. This is when Da Silva met Bruna, when she was only two years old. Eight years has passed and Bruna calls Da Silva granny while hugging her by the woman’s house.

Tags: backlands, brazil, anthropology, ana caroline de lima, portrait, anthilll, expression, minas gerais, love

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