ambiente de Nova Esperança

These are images of Nova Esperança, one of the neighborhoods that I visit frequently to visit families. I am intrigued by this environment. It feels very harsh, raw--- unfished and falling apart at the same time. Pockets of lushness, of flowers and well watered fruit trees and there are also piles of trash, dead dogs, and rivers of dirty water flowing down the streets. I often stumble on the small loose stones on the roads and tumble into barbed wire fences when I am trying to find a way to enter a closed in home that has no gate. I hear stories of drug gangs, of a husband who shot his wife the other day, and of theves who crawl into unlocked windows at night.
People moved here about 7 years ago when the government opened up the lots for whoever arrived there first. Many of the families are young couples who moved to the city from rural areas to find work. Most of the houses dont have running water yet and it is a long walk to the river in the sun.