Tokai, a life in chains

Father Riccardo Tobanelli is a Xaverian Missionary Priest and he takes care of street children. Only in Dhaka there are more than 60 thousands street children. The plight of street children is one of the most dreadful manifestations of the injustice of poverty and exclusion. The street children survive on the margins of society relaying only on their own efforts. Children's rights are at best ignored and at worst trampled upon through indifference, economic exploitation, and sexual and physical abuse. "Tokai kora", in Bengali language, means to pick up discarded things and "Tokai" is the name given to those street children who do that. It is a very appropriate name for street children in Dhaka, since they survive on the streets recycling rubbish. Most of them contract debts with shop owners in order to survive. These kids live in a situation of bonded labor and slavery.

Italian humanist and environmental photographer/filmmaker, is an award - winning photographer based in Italy. His photographs have been exhibited all over Europe, United States and China, and published in Italian and international newspapers and magazines among them: l'Espresso, Internazionale, Alias del Manifesto, Vogue Italia, Corriere della Sera Repubblica, Panorama, Il Sole 24 ore, Oggi, Le Scienze, Daylight Magazine, Days Japan International, Asahi Shinbum, The Telegraph, The Guardian, Sueddeutsche Zeitung, Spiegel, Wired USA, Asian Geo, China Newsweek, National Geographic USA