Per-Anders Pettersson

ESTHER YANDAKWA, KINSHASA, DRC

Esther Yandakwa, age 13, lives on the mean streets of Kinshasa, Democratic Republic Of Congo. She only knows this life and survives on prostitution and petty crimes. Esther has lived this life since she was 6-7 years old. I first met her in 2006 while doing a story on street children in Kinshasa. She was among a group of girl’s aged 13-14, but Esther was only 9 years old but looked many years older. Smoking cigarettes, marijuana, crack and drinking whiskey, she was high most of the time. The girls went often went to a drug house full of street children before heading out on the streets to sell their bodies. Esther has been in and out of orphanages but she is a very difficult case. She was most of the time a bad influence on the other children and she was often kicked out on the street again. Now four years later, I recently caught up with her and spend a week documenting her life. She looks a bit older but otherwise much has not changed. She still wants to get off the streets but it is very hard, if not impossible. She is one of tens of thousands of street children in Kinshasa. Many are kicked out of their families because of witchcraft, or the parents can't longer afford to pay for them so they are accused of witchcraft and kicked out. Some children are also affected by the recent civil war in the Eastern part of the country. Image 1-9 shows here life in 2006 & Image 10-19 shows her life in 2010. This is an on-going project.

Esther Yandakwa, age 9, sleeps outside on the ground with her friends on April 30, 2006 in Matonge district in central Kinshasa Congo, DRC. Esther is homeless and works as a prostitute together with four fourteen-year-old friends. They live outside next to a polluted river. She's been three years on the street and has run away from here family. She has from time to time been living in a homeless shelter for children, but doesn't like the rules there. She usually smokes cigarettes, marijuana, drinks whiskey and sometimes takes Valium. She charges the clients as little as US$ 1. About 15,000 children are estimated to live on the streets of Kinshasa.
   
Esther Yandakwa (c), age 9, has fallen asleep after smoking marijuana in a drug house on May 4, 2006 in Matonge district in central Kinshasa, Congo, DRC. Esther is homeless and works as a prostitute together with four friends. The girls live outside next to a polluted river. Esther has been on the streets for about three years, and has been rejected by her family. From time to time, she lives in a homeless shelter for but doesn't like the rules there. She usually smokes cigarettes, marijuana and drinks whiskey. She charges the clients as little as US$ 1. About 15,000 children are estimated to live on the streets of Kinshasa. Congo, DRC
   
Esther Yandakwa (c), age 9, walk the streets looking for customers with her friends on April 29, 2006 in Matonge district in central Kinshasa, Congo, DRC. Esther is homeless and works a prostitute together with four fourteen-year-old friends. They live outside next, to a polluted river. She's been living on the streets for three years, and has run away from her family. She has from time to time been living in a homeless shelter but doesn?t like the rules there. She usually smokes cigarettes, marijuana, drinks whiskey and sometimes takes Valium. She charges the clients as little as US$ 1. About 15,000 children are estimated to live on the streets of Kinshasa.
     
  
Esther Yandakwa, age 9, Francine Nyanda, age 14, and Gladys Lutadila, age 14, Clarisse Bongalo, age 14, have their nails done on April 30, 2006 in Matonge district in central Kinshasa, Congo, DRC. They are homeless and work as prostitutes together. They live outside, next to a polluted river. They have all run away from their parents. They have from time to time been living in a homeless shelter for children, but does not like the rules there. They smoke cigarettes, marijuana, drinks whiskey and sometimes take Valium. They charge the clients as little as US$ 1. About 15,000 children are estimated to live on the streets of Kinshasa.
  
Esther Yandakwa, age 9, smokes a cigarette while her friends help her with her hair on April 30, 2006 in Matonge district in central Kinshasa, Congo, DRC. Esther is homeless and works a prostitute together with four fourteen-year-old friends. They live outside, next to a polluted river. She's been living three years on the street and has run away from her family. She has from time to time been living in a homeless shelter for but doesn't like the rules there. She usually smokes cigarettes, marijuana, drinks whiskey and sometimes takes Valium. She charges the clients as little as US$ 1. About 15,000 children are estimated to live on the streets of Kinshasa.
   
Esther Yandakwa (c), age 9, plays in her bed with her friends at a yearly summer camp run by Orper, a local NGO on July 4, 2006 in N Djili outside Kinshasa, Congo, DRC. The NGO has several shelters for homeless boys and girls in Kinshasa and has a program that reunites children with their families. Esther is homeless since a few years and has run away from her family. She smokes, drinks, and abuse drugs such as Valium. She often works as a prostitute on the streets of Kinshasa to make money. The capital has a growing problem with children displaced by war, poverty and many has been rejected by their families and forced on the streets. About 15,000 children are estimated to live on the streets of Kinshasa. About fifty girls got to spend a week relaxing, playing, swimming eating three meals a day. Most important of all, it took them off the hard streets of Kinshasa, where they are often abused, take drugs and forced into prostitution. Esther has lived on the streets for a few years and run away from her family. She abuses drugs, alcohol and works as prostitute.
     
  
Esther Yandakwa (l), age 9, watches as her friend Betty Nginamawu (c), age 14, dance among friends at a yearly summer camp run by Orper, a local NGO on July 6, 2006 in N Djili outside Kinshasa, Congo, DRC. The NGO has several shelters for homeless boys and girls in Kinshasa and has a program that reunites children with their families. The capital has a growing problem with children displaced by war, poverty and many has been rejected by their families and forced on the streets. About 15,000 children are estimated to live on the streets of Kinshasa. About fifty girls got to spend a week relaxing, playing, swimming eating three meals a day. Most important of all, it took them off the hard streets of Kinshasa, where they are often abused, take drugs and forced into prostitution. Esther has lived on the streets for a few years and run away from her family. She abuse drugs, alcohol and works as prostitute.
  
Esther Yandakwa, age 9, stands among her friends on April 29, 2006 in Matonge district in central Kinshasa, Congo, DRC. Esther is homeless and works as a prostitute together with four fourteen-year-old friends. They live outside next to a polluted river. She's been three years on the street and has run away from her family. She has from time to time been living in a homeless shelter for children, but doesn't like the rules there. She usually smokes cigarettes, marijuana, drinks whiskey and sometimes takes Valium. She charges the clients as little as US$ 1. About 15,000 children are estimated to live on the streets of Kinshasa.
   
Esther Yandakwa (r), age 9, sleeps outside on the pavement as her friends are nearby working on the street on April 29, 2006 in Matonge district in central Kinshasa, Congo, DRC. Esther is homeless and works a prostitute together with four fourteen-year-old friends. They live outside next to a polluted river. She's been on the street for about three years and has run away from here family. From time to time she has been living in a homeless shelter but doesn't like the rules there. She usually smokes cigarettes, marijuana, drinks whiskey and sometimes takes Valium. She charges the clients as little as US$ 1. About 15,000 children are estimated to live on the streets of Kinshasa.
     
  
Esther Yandakwa, a 13-year old street child holds an image that I took of her when she was 9 years old on the streets of Kinshasa, DRC. Four years later she still lives in a similar situation. She has lived on the streets since she was 6-7 years old and is dependent on prostitution to survive. She uses drugs and lives with a group of other homeless people in central Kinshasa. Thousands of children live on the streets of Kinshasa. Esther has been in and out orphanages or but she is only happy living in the mean streets of Kinshasa.
  
Esther Yandakwa, a 13-year old homeless child sleep on the streets of Kinshasa, DRC. She has lived on the streets since she was 6-7 years old and is dependent on prostitution to survive. She is walking the streets of Kinshasa to look for customers. She uses drugs and lives with a group of other homeless people in central Kinshasa. Thousands of children live on the streets of Kinshasa. Esther has been in and out orphanages or but she is only happy living in the mean streets of Kinshasa.
   
Esther Yandakwa, a 13-year old street child hangs out on the streets of central Kinshasa, DRC. She has lived on the streets since she was 6-7 years old and is dependent on prostitution to survive. She uses drugs and lives with a group of other homeless people in central Kinshasa. Thousands of children live on the streets of Kinshasa. Esther has been in and out orphanages or but she is only happy living in the mean streets of Kinshasa.
     
  
Esther Yandakwa, a 13-year old homeless child looks in a fashion store with a friend on the streets of Kinshasa, DRC. She has lived on the streets since she was 6-7 years old and is dependent on prostitution to survive. She is walking the streets of Kinshasa to look for customers. She uses drugs and lives with a group of other homeless people in central Kinshasa. Thousands of children live on the streets of Kinshasa. Esther has been in and out orphanages or but she is only happy living in the mean streets of Kinshasa.
   
Esther Yandakwa, a 13-year old street child cries as one of her friends stole her money where she stays on the streets of Kinshasa, DRC. She has lived on the streets since she was 6-7 years old and is dependent on prostitution to survive. She uses drugs and lives with a group of other homeless people in central Kinshasa. Thousands of children live on the streets of Kinshasa. Esther has been in and out orphanages or but she is only happy living in the mean streets of Kinshasa.
   
Esther Yandakwa, a 13-year old homeless child has her hair done in the central market of Kinshasa, DRC. She has lived on the streets since she was 6-7 years old and is dependent on prostitution to survive. She is walking the streets of Kinshasa to look for customers. She uses drugs and lives with a group of other homeless people in central Kinshasa. Thousands of children live on the streets of Kinshasa. Esther has been in and out orphanages or but she is only happy living in the mean streets of Kinshasa.
     
  
Esther Yandakwa, a 13-year old homeless child visits her grandmother (r) and grand father outside Kinshasa, DRC. She has lived on the streets since she was 6-7 years old and is dependent on prostitution to survive. She is walking the streets of Kinshasa to look for customers. She uses drugs and lives with a group of other homeless people in central Kinshasa. Thousands of children live on the streets of Kinshasa. Esther has been in and out orphanages or but she is only happy living in the mean streets of Kinshasa.
   
Esther Yandakwa, a 13-year old street child smokes marijuana with a friend where she stays on the streets of Kinshasa, DRC. She has lived on the streets since she was 6-7 years old and is dependent on prostitution to survive. She uses drugs and lives with a group of other homeless people in central Kinshasa. Thousands of children live on the streets of Kinshasa. Esther has been in and out orphanages or but she is only happy living in the mean streets of Kinshasa.
   
Esther Yandakwa, a 13-year old street child laughs after smoking marijuana with a friend where she stays on the streets of Kinshasa, DRC. She has lived on the streets since she was 6-7 years old and is dependent on prostitution to survive. She uses drugs and lives with a group of other homeless people in central Kinshasa. Thousands of children live on the streets of Kinshasa. Esther has been in and out orphanages or but she is only happy living in the mean streets of Kinshasa.
     
  
Esther Yandakwa, a 13-year old street child collapses after smoking marijuana with a friend where she stays on the streets of Kinshasa, DRC. She has lived on the streets since she was 6-7 years old and is dependent on prostitution to survive. She uses drugs and lives with a group of other homeless people in central Kinshasa. Thousands of children live on the streets of Kinshasa. Esther has been in and out orphanages or but she is only happy living in the mean streets of Kinshasa.