Scraping a Living: The Cyanide Contaminated Gold Dumps of Zimbabwe

A haunting look at the physical and environmental toll of poverty near Bindura, Zimbabwe. This photograph captures informal laborers working the old gold mine dumps, a grueling task of "scraping a living" from the earth's remains.

While the search for gold offers a slim hope for income, the reality is far darker: these historic dumps are often contaminated with cyanide, which leaches into the local water supply. This image serves as a witness to the dangerous conditions faced by the community, where the quest for survival often leads to long-term health consequences for the workers and their children. Captured on a Nikon D3200.