Toxic Trade by Claudio Verbano

In Tanzania everyday thousands of people risk their lives in small scale mining pits in hope to find gold. These mines are completely unsecured and up to 100 meters deep.
Toxic Trade | Claudio Verbano

Magazine

Our printed editions, circulating throughout various galleries, festivals and agencies are dipped in creativity.

The spirit of DODHO’s printed edition is first and foremost an opportunity to connect with a photographic audience that values the beauty of print and those photographers exhibited within the pages of this magazine.

We invite professional and amateur photographers from all around the world to share their work in our printed edition.

https://www.dodho.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/ban28.jpg

In Tanzania everyday thousands of people risk their lives in small scale mining pits in hope to find gold. These mines are completely unsecured and up to 100 meters deep.

Many young people from all over the country are leaving their families in hope for a better life. They are working in 12 hour shifts and risk their health, among those are also many children that are used as unpaid workers to work in the small shafts. As the workers live far away from their family structures, prostitution and HIV rates have rocketed up in recent years.

The biggest threat though arrives from the use of mercury. It is sold illegally from hospitals, military or even chemical shops. As workers are using the material without any protection or knowledge of its danger they are exposed to the toxic liquid every day at high dosage to extract gold from the soil. To get rid of the mercury amalgam, it gets heated what can cause severe intoxication, lung problems and problems for the nervous system. As many women are working with mercury at home they are particularly in danger as the material can arrive the blood system of their children in case of pregnancy. This can cause serious physical disabilities.

Tanzania has become Africa’s third largest exporteur for gold in recent years. Unfortunately the local population is not benefitting from this development as international mining companies as Acacia Mining, Barrick Gold and Anglo Gold Ashanti are hardly paying any taxes or refuse to pay taxes at all. Tanzania’s president John Magufuli has set a deadline to end all old contracts and even ban all exports from those who are not willing to pay taxes. This is definitely an urgent and much needed step that can be a sign of hope also for other african countries. For now the export ban has led to an increase of more illegal mining activities.

Toxic Trade | Claudio Verbano

About Claudio Verbano

Claudio Verbano is a freelance documentary photographer based in Germany and Italy. He is specialized in reportage and documentary photography. He covers news, social topics and personal projects. It is always his main goal to be in close contact to the people he is working with to understand their situation. The emphasis of his work explores the impact of social and economic injustice on communities and people and tries to raise awareness for their situations. Furthermore he tries to find the motivation that drives the people to carry on. [Official Website]

“A picture should not just be taken for the eye; it should have a meaning in the heart.”

Toxic Trade | Claudio Verbano

Toxic Trade | Claudio Verbano

Toxic Trade | Claudio Verbano

Toxic Trade | Claudio Verbano

Toxic Trade | Claudio Verbano

Toxic Trade | Claudio Verbano

Toxic Trade | Claudio Verbano

Toxic Trade | Claudio Verbano

Toxic Trade | Claudio Verbano

Toxic Trade | Claudio Verbano

Toxic Trade | Claudio Verbano

Toxic Trade | Claudio Verbano

Toxic Trade | Claudio Verbano

Toxic Trade | Claudio Verbano

Toxic Trade | Claudio Verbano

Toxic Trade | Claudio Verbano

Toxic Trade | Claudio Verbano

Toxic Trade | Claudio Verbano

Toxic Trade | Claudio Verbano

Other Stories

stay in touch
Join our mailing list and we'll keep you up to date with all the latest stories, opportunities, calls and more.
We use Sendinblue as our marketing platform. By Clicking below to submit this form, you acknowledge that the information you provided will be transferred to Sendinblue for processing in accordance with their terms of use
We’d love to
Thank you for subscribing!
Submission
Dodho Magazine accepts submissions from emerging and professional photographers from around the world.
Their projects can be published among the best photographers and be viewed by the best professionals in the industry and thousands of photography enthusiasts. Dodho magazine reserves the right to accept or reject any submitted project. Due to the large number of presentations received daily and the need to treat them with the greatest respect and the time necessary for a correct interpretation our average response time is around 5/10 business days in the case of being accepted.
- Between 10/30 images of your best images, in case your project contains a greater number of images which are part of the same indivisible body of work will also be accepted. You must send the images in jpg format to 1200px and 72dpi and quality 9. (No borders or watermarks)
- A short biography along with your photograph. (It must be written in the third person)
- Title and full text of the project with a minimum length of 300 words. (Texts with lesser number of words will not be accepted)
This is the information you need to start preparing your project for its presentation
To send it, you must compress the folder in .ZIP format and use our Wetransfer channel specially dedicated to the reception of works. Links or projects in PDF format will not be accepted. All presentations are carefully reviewed based on their content and final quality of the project or portfolio. If your work is selected for publication in the online version, it will be communicated to you via email and subsequently it will be published.
Contact
How can we help? Got an idea or something you'd like share? Please use the adjacent form, or contact contact@dodho.com
Thank You. We will contact you as soon as possible.
Submission
Dodho Magazine accepts submissions from emerging and professional photographers from around the world.
Their projects can be published among the best photographers and be viewed by the best professionals in the industry and thousands of photography enthusiasts. Dodho magazine reserves the right to accept or reject any submitted project. Due to the large number of presentations received daily and the need to treat them with the greatest respect and the time necessary for a correct interpretation our average response time is around 5/10 business days in the case of being accepted. This is the information you need to start preparing your project for its presentation.
To send it, you must compress the folder in .ZIP format and use our Wetransfer channel specially dedicated to the reception of works. Links or projects in PDF format will not be accepted. All presentations are carefully reviewed based on their content and final quality of the project or portfolio. If your work is selected for publication in the online version, it will be communicated to you via email and subsequently it will be published.
Get in Touch
How can we help? Do you have an idea or something you'd like to share? Please use the form provided, or contact us at contact@dodho.com
Thank You. We will contact you as soon as possible.