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NIGERIA, Gwagwalada, April 2018.
Image taken in the dormitory of the orphanage. The first chapter of the project took place in an orphanage in Gwagwalada where two missionaries started rescuing newborn children from being killed by their community.
The two girls in this picture are 2 of the 130 children living in the orphanage of which some have lost their twin brother or sister or were rejected by their community because their mother passed away during child birth.
The Vine Heritage Home Foundation is an orphanage situated in Gwagwalada, one hour drive from the Federal Capital, Abuja. It was founded by Olusola Stevens and his wife an affiliate of Christian Missionary foundation. The two missionaries created a shelter for children whose life was endangered by the infanticide practices performed by the neighbouring Bassa communities.
If a mother dies during child birth or while nursing a baby, the baby is considered evil and must therefore be buried (alive) with the deceased mother. Over 70% of the children currently living in Vine Heritage Home were rescued for this very reason. The belief that twins (multiple births) are an abomination makes them suffer a similar fate. Twins are killed shortly after birth; being left to starve, poisoned, or buried alive.
Twins and other children killing is illegal in Nigeria. The criminal code section 316 defines the conditions of the homicide. Yet, the government agents struggle to stop the practice.
In this images a purple filter is applied (on the flash-light that helps light up the scene, not in post production). To create an aesthetic language that highlights and empowers the belief that twins are “magical” and ‘supernatural’ 2 color filters (purple & red) were used, amplifying the duality of; two individuals, two photographers, two identities; two perceptions colored differently. Colors symbolising contradictory beliefs: purple for the spiritual and heavenly and red for the earthly, danger.