Neo Ntsoma

Independent Photographer

Saris in the sand

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Location: Johannesburg

Nationality: South African

Biography: Growing up at a time when apartheid restricted access to photography education for young Black women photographers Neo Ntsoma overcame these challenges through her passion, determination and clear vision of the kind of work she wanted to create... MORE

Focus: Photographer, Photojournalist, Health, Environment, History, Documentary, News, Photography, Portraiture, Culture, Author, Visuals Editor, International News, Arts & Culture, Freelance, Civil Rights and Social Inequality, Assignments, Educator, Talent Development, Visual Communications , Human Rights, International, Creative Professional, Artist, Magazine, Editorial, Publications, Photo Shoots, Newspapers, Storyteller, Climate, Advocacy

034... Amin Bazaar Stone Yards....boats near their place of work.

034... Amin Bazaar Stone Yards. In the stone-yards of Dhaka, Bangladesh, women work alongside men for bone aching. 12- hour shifts in the stone-yards crushing rocks into sand. Somehow managing to remain elegant and colourful in their saris, there is movement and rhythm in the way they work. They also have the added burden of having to keep an eye on their children who have to hang around nearby. They seldom eat and many sleep in open boats near their place of work.

The long haul... The workers wa...shed themselves. Pic Neo Ntsoma

The long haul... The workers walk on a heap of sand, carrying heavy baskets full of moist sand made from stones that they had crushed themselves. Pic Neo Ntsoma

Determination and drive... An e...e stain of work. Pic Neo Ntsoma

Determination and drive... An elegant - looking woman tries to hide her exhaustion with a smile - yet her face covered with sweat reveals the stain of work. Pic Neo Ntsoma

Sands of pain... A woman sifts ...t with a hammer. Pic Neo Ntsoma

Sands of pain... A woman sifts a load of sand through a straining net in order to get it finer that when crushing it with a hammer. Pic Neo Ntsoma

With  dignity and gra... exhausting  labour .

With dignity and grace, a couple sleep on a boat near a stone yard as they try to gain strength for another day of exhausting labour.

Public Story

Saris in the sand

Updated Feb 2021

Location Dhaka

Topics Abuse, Business, Capitalism, Corruption, Documentary, Emotion, Family, Food, Homelessness, Human Rights, Industrial, Media, Motherhood, Oppression, Photojournalism, Poverty, Womens Rights, Workers Rights

In the stone-yards of Dhaka, Bangladesh, women work alongside men for bone aching. 12- hour shifts in the stone-yards crushing rocks into sand. Somehow managing to remain elegant and colourful in their saris, there is movement and rhythm in the way they work. They also have the added burden of having to keep an eye on their children who have to hang around nearby. They seldom eat and many sleep in open boats near their place of work.

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