The Girls from Malawa
In the small village of Malawa, in the south of Poland, every year a little yellow house is settled with young boys and girls struggling with anorexia and bulimia, receiving treatment and trying to get well enough to return to a ‘normal life’. In a world filled with perfectly photoshopped supermodels, and as plastic surgery increases, it is hard to find your way as a teenager. Eating disorders are the third most common disease amongst teenagers. Worldwide, one out of five teenagers suffer from eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia, which can eventually lead to heart failure and the malfunction of internal organs, causing death. Hald lived with the group of girls in Malawa for the summer, following their development and watching as they struggled while forming friendships along the way.
See Marie Hald's 'The fight against ourselves' on Witness, World Press Photo's online magazine.
Bonnie
39-year-old Bonnie is a Danish mother of three. Since the age of 18, she has worked as a sexworker in small towns in Denmark. Bonnie's first time having sex for money was during a visit at a brothel near her hometown. The experience was unpleasant and Bonnie was shy and ashamed of her body. She had only been to bed with her boyfriend. But, because of the money, she kept working. An old house on the countryside of Sealand is where Bonnie works everyday. When her day is over, at 4pm, she picks up her kids and goes to her home in a nearby village. Her kids Michella (16), Oliver (14) and Noa (6) know what her profession is, as do their school, the community and so on. It is not easy for the children who are often bullied in school.
