Portraits of São Tomé

The islands of São Tomé and Príncipe situated in the gulf of Guinea at equator latitude, are a story of contrasts. The dazzling beauty of the landscapes collides with the basic daily living of the people there, creating a shock between the exuberance of the vegetation and the magnificent beaches and the lack of basic infrastructure. The series of portraits presented in this project are the result of a visit to the islands in the last month of february and each represents a biography of people who have very little or nothing, but despite everything keep a dignity and abnegation when faced with situations far from minimally ideal. The motto of the island is 'leve leve', which means to let things happen without stress and roll with the punches, and that was maybe the biggest lesson I learned.