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  To Live  
   

To Live
http://rominahendlin.com

Romina Hendlin

This is the story about the journey of a man following his dreams. Maickel Melamed was born with his umbilical cord wrapped around his throat. He could not breathe for the first minutes of his life. This caused him to have severe motor disabilities. The doctors thought he would only survive for a couple of days. Today, he is 37 years old.

Over the years, Maickel learned how to transform his disability into his strength. He decided to run the NYC Marathon as a way to inspire people to achieve their goals. He always says: “If you dream it, make it happen”

As a friend of Maickel, I had great access to intimate moments, but it was also a big challenge to photograph his pain and his struggle. For three years, I went to Maickel’s trainings, to his doctor’s appointment, to the conferences he gives as a motivational speaker, and to the races and other marathons he ran to train for his biggest goal.

Maickel is determine to run the five major marathons in the world. He has already finished the New York and Berlin marathons. Next year, he will run in London and Chicago and in 2014 he will finish with the Boston marathon.

His courage is a testament to the human spirit.

 

  

 

 
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  Transmigrations  
   

Transmigrations

http://www.alfredobini.com

Alfredo Bini

Since the beginning of 2009 about 10,000 migrants have crossed the Tenere Desert each month in a bid to reach Europe. This is the biggest migrant flow of the last six years. They travel from the southern states to Niger by whatever means they happen to find. Some stay in the cities to try and earn some money; only then do they cross the desert to the oasis of Dirkou, the departure point for Libya.

A good number of them will succeed in setting off, but those without money will be stranded in Dirkou. Amongst their number are those who simply do not have enough money, those who have been robbed, or those who have miscalculated the extortion fees due at the control posts. The only hope of resuming the journey is to work for a master until he pays them. Many adapt to doing any kind of work.  Others can be condemned to a long periods of slavery. They have no alternatives. Official statistics set the mortality rate caused by the harsh travelling conditions at about 12%. One imagines that it is actually much higher.