The world is a giant jigsaw puzzle, spotted with both exquisitely beautiful and potentially dangerous places. While you may dream of spending a lifetime in some of the true paradises-on-earth, you should be equally wary of stepping up in some real hell spots for your own safety. But not everyone is fortunate enough to get a cozy and safe home and there are places on earth where people are actually living on the edge of peril.
Here are top 10 such nightmarish places on earth where you would never want to live:
Dharavi in Mumbai, India
The slums of Mumbai / Photo from sarahlane
Roughly half the residents of Bombay live in crowded slums such as these.
/ Photo from bwillen
Sprawling over 175 hectares between Mahim and Sion, Dharavi has emerged as the largest slum of Asia inhabiting a population exceeding 600,000. Dharavi has its rival in Orangi Town in Karachi, Pakistan that has a notorious filth and expanse. Dharavi presents a brighter picture as a cheap pocket in the midst of expensive Mumbai where you could stay for as low as 4 US dollars rent per month.
Dharavi, the most biggest slum of the world / Photo from sandrinecohen22
Dharavi is an abode for various small-scale industries like pottery, embroidered garments, leather and plastic goods. Unbelievably the total net income of the residents of Dharavi amounts to almost 650 million US dollars. But Dharavi is no paradise – its inadequate water supply and toilet facilities get worse during the monsoon floods and the unhygienic environment of Dharavi poses serious threats to public health issues.
Rocinha – Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil / Photo from Leonardo Martins
Photo from razorbern
The largest favela (basically meaning shanty town) in Rio De Janeiro. / Photo from -bos[s]-’
Situated between the São Conrado and Gávea districts of Rio de Janeiro, Rocinha meaning small ranch in Portuguese is the largest slum or “favela” in South America. Posed on a hillside within one kilometer of the beach, Rocinha originated as a shanty to transform quickly into a modern slum neighborhood. You will find it better off than many shanties because of its brick buildings, sanitation, plumbing and other urban facilities.
Favela, Rio de Janeiro / Photo from dreamindly
What makes Rocinha a potentially dangerous place to live is the prevalence of a violent drug trade. This leads to endless tussles and encounters between the drug peddlers and the police, giving rise to a dangerous ambiance. The population of 100,000 has a poor economic state and high mortality rates. What is more, Rocinha being built on steep mountain slope is susceptible to landslides, rock falls and floods.
Kibera in Nairobi, Kenya
1,000,000 residents live on a mountain of Garbage. / Photo from Chicago Wedding Photographer, Wes Craft
Kibera, meaning ‘forest’ in Nubian is the home for a million people, which earned notoriety for being the biggest slum in the whole of Africa. Most of the population here are tenants with no rights living in mud-walled shacks owned by landlords who have vacated Kibera. Most of the population is African Muslims, who huddle up eight per shack, often sleeping on the floors.
Photo from alongtheway
Just 20% of Kibera has electricity and no regular supply of clean water. The dam water that people use is the root to cholera and typhoid, aggravated by poor sewage condition. There is widespread menace of AIDS and the total absence of government medical facilities. What worsens the general livelihood of Kibera is the availability of a cheap alcoholic drink called ‘Changaa’.
Faced with rampant unemployment, most of the slum-dwellers resort to Changaa early in life and grow into criminals, drunkards and rapists. The problem is aggravated by the availability of cheap drugs and tendencies of glue sniffing. The result is the rising rate of unwanted pregnancy among girls of all ages who invariably turn to abortion. Some charities and churches are working towards the betterment of the condition.
Linfen, China
Pollution / Photo from sheilaz413
Located right at the center of Shanxi Province of China’s coal region, Linfen is one of the most polluted cities in the world. The air is thick with dust and smoke to a degree that hampers visibility. The three million people who live in Linfen take regular doses of arsenic rich water, further polluted with fossil fuels and poisonous gases through the air they breathe. You can actually catch a lasting stink when you step in Linfen with overflowing sewage everywhere.
Young coal worker in Linfen (Shanxi, China) / Photo from andi808
The river flowing by Linfen has its water thickened with oil. No wonder! The inhabitants using this water have high occurrences of cancer. When you look at the trees around the Linfen factories, they present a sad withered picture. It is the last place on earth that you would think of sending someone, even your worst enemy.
Kabwe, Zambia
Photograph by Blacksmith Institute / Photo from nationalgeographic.com
The lead and cadmium accumulations in this former British colony have skyrocketed since their discovery in 1902 when Zambia was valued for a rich lead mine. Although the mines have closed and no smelters are operational now, Kabwe residents have faced the threat of lead poisoning through decades. Blood tests in the children have revealed lead concentrations exceeding 5-10 times the normal limit that could turn fatal any day. Only recently, the World Bank has allotted funds for tackling the problem.
Photo from livescience.com
Chernobyl, Ukraine
Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant / Photo from Ken and Nyetta
Radiated Apartment Building / Photo from Stuck in Customs
Talking of life-threatening pollution and poisoning, nothing could beat the nuclear reactor accident record set by Chernobyl that has left about 5.5 million people facing the threat of thyroid cancer. The fallout that occurred in April 26, 1986 has led to the leakage of nuclear radiation 100 times more pronounced in volume and effect than that of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki explosions. It is a horror that thousands of Russian, Ukrainian and Belarusian children living close to the damaged plant still cannot escape the radiation impact.
This used to be the public gym, back in 1986. / Photo from philippe simpson
Dzerzhinsk, Russia
Dzerzhinsk / Photo from Oleg aka Xtraboy
Situated beside the Oka River in Nizhny Novgorod Oblast of Russia, Dzerzhinsk is named after the Russian leader Feliks Edmundovich Dzerzhinsky. Right From its inception, Dzerzhinsk has remained a chemical industry hub and has been producing chemical weapons for Russia. It has been labeled one of the worst polluted cities of the world with a staggering death rate.
Skyline of Dzerzhinsk / Photo from Spendruleziya
In Dzerzhinsk, the average life of men is just 42 years and women 47 years. Environmentalists attribute such high mortality rate to the ceaseless production of organic chemicals like toxic dioxins, hydrogen cyanide, lead and sulfur mustard. The phenol and dioxin contents in the Dzerzhinsk waters surpasses the normal limit by seventeen million times.
Cubatão – São Paulo, Brazil
Cubatão / Photo from Alceu Bap
The city of Cubatão extending over 142 square kilometers is more appropriately known as the ‘Valley of Death’ for its precarious living conditions. It has a high air pollution level that has led to the destruction of forests over the surrounding hills and birth of children with congenital organ defects.
sticker mundo / Photo from caio antunes
The life threatening pollution took a new dimension in 1984 when an event of oil spill burnt down the town, killing almost 200 people. Only recently extensive steps worth $1.2 billion are being taken to improve the damages caused by organic pollutants. Despite such measures, it is quite impossible to clean the soil and underground water from the spreading tentacles of pollution thus making Cubatão unfit for staying.
Bassac Apartments, Cambodia
One of the architectural jewels of Cambodia, the innovative apartment complex designed in the early 1960s by Lu Ban Hap / Photo from Rich Garella
Photo from jinja_cambodia
The 300-metre-long Basaac Apartments were built due to the town planning director Lu Ban Hap’s initiative to put up a low-cost social housing project in the 1960s. However, this government-financed housing project has been the home to 2,500 refugees since 1979, when its legal tenants vacated the property because of the onset of decay. The structure made of concrete and brick has now given way to dangerous gaps in between the reinforced concrete walls marked by the ingrowths of parasitic plants. The building can collapse any time burying alive its 2500 residents.
Mogadishu, Somalia
A rusty and bullet-ridden Coca Cola sign gives a telling welcome for visitors to the volatile city of Mogadishu. / Photo from khairi_us
Pictures from an armed convoy trip in Mogadishu / Photo from ctsnow
Mogadishu, an advanced former port has been witnessing the 17-year tussle between rival military camps since the fall of the government in 1991. It turned into the most chaotic and anarchic city of the world, marked by civil unrest and insurgencies. Such disturbances caused its original inhabitants to flee, leaving Mogadishu to be controlled by military factions. Only recently, a new federal government has taken up the reins of control and is trying to re-establish law and order.
Photo from Kevin Sites in the Hot Zone
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70 Comments, Comment or Ping
By quitar tatuaje foto posted on Mar 20th, 2009
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pero que joyitas!! la verdad es que esto te hace valorar mas el lugar donde vives, me impacto todo pero lo de china me parecio terrible!
By cza.atOrkaa. posted on Mar 20th, 2009
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Wyy.kOopP P0zzzDra.AaAw!aA. < 33
By Ulam pProx posted on Mar 20th, 2009
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czasami mam wrazenenie ze ludzie "pOzdRawiAjĄcY" z wykopu są zwyczajowymi debilami i powini dostawać bany na wykopie za spamowanie w szczeniacki sposob innych forow.
czatorka idz sie zajmij czatem. twoj typ ludzi nie jest mile widziany na wykopie. swiadczy o tym sam fakt Stylu twojej wypowiedzi i twoje aktywne uczestnieczenie w czatach które to zaś urągają osobom intelektualnie rozwinietym
By Dorosly posted on Mar 21st, 2009
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Zal Mi cie cza.atOrkaa…. Wstyd …
By wykopowiec posted on Mar 21st, 2009
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Ulam pProx jestes taki madry, a ludzie na onecie i czatach to takie glupki.
By traxx posted on Mar 22nd, 2009
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a mi żal was…wielcy uczeni ;/ wypinijcie kabel od neta popaprancy
By George posted on Mar 25th, 2009
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Very interesting post. It is sad to see that such places exist on planet, and i can only imagine how are people living in them.
By cat posted on Mar 27th, 2009
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be entertained
By MikeR posted on Mar 27th, 2009
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Awful, just awful.
By Carl posted on Mar 30th, 2009
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I don t think rocinha should be on that list…I live in Rioand I know lots of people that love living there…yes,the drug war it's a a big problem.But high mortality rates,landslides, rock falls and floods are definely NOT true…hundreds of tourists go there every day and nothing bad ever happened to them…so it's not THAT dungerous.By the way at least 100,000 peoplelives there and not 10,000 as you said…
By Boris Said posted on Apr 2nd, 2009
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I never knew Brazil had a bad area! I had always had it as being a wonderful place to visit in my mind. I just checked it out…. and Brazil apparently is the #1 homicide place!
Check it out -> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Homicide_rate_b...
It is even higher than Russia!!!
By Latest Gadgets posted on Apr 4th, 2009
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crazy places, really wanna stay away from either of them.
By bleh posted on Apr 6th, 2009
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iztapalapa and neza in mexico city beat many of these hands down
By VictoriaCaridad posted on Apr 7th, 2009
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Que fuerte!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
bueno la mitad del mundo es mas o menos asi!!!!!!
espero poco a poco encontremos el equilibrio
By Health Tips posted on Apr 8th, 2009
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Its really sad to imagine about people living in places like these. Such pics have to shown to the Government rather than posting it on the internet.
By Teresa Cabrera posted on Apr 9th, 2009
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http://plomoenlaoroya.blogspot.com/2007/08/la-oro...
By Cyntia BRavo posted on Apr 9th, 2009
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I live in Brazil and it's very sad to say: YES, Rocinha is very bad. I live in Rio, but far from there. But violence is growing and growing, and our governemnt just don't do anything. I pray for a peace country, even seeing everything happening so fast here.
By Sanseverini posted on Apr 9th, 2009
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Brazil isn't considered as a develeped Country and yet the mortality rates aren't as terrible as other places in the world. I'm pretty sure in the U.S. or even in Europe, the mortality rates of agressive murder is worse than here. By the way, I'm Brazilian, i live in a city close do Sao Paulo and I've been in Cubatao. I can say that Cubatao really isn't a good place to live, but it isn't as worse as other places in the world.
By Work From Home Geek posted on Apr 12th, 2009
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you wouldn't think places like this exist…sad to say they do. Something need to be done to help these people and places.
By Amy Wagner posted on Apr 14th, 2009
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Wow some of those places are really bad, and you right I wouldn't want to live there but people do and they manage, how we will never know , but maybe its because they don't know any other way.
By Odzyskiwanie Danych posted on Apr 17th, 2009
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chernobyl is a ghost city. still wonder why some peple are still living there
By Tkaniny Obiciowe posted on May 7th, 2009
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Have you seen the episode of Elite Police from Rio de Janeiro? Those slums there looked awful, I'd give everything to avoid living there.
By MARK posted on May 7th, 2009
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MA TERAJ SE
By India posted on May 9th, 2009
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We are making our earth Hell…………I feel bad about peopl who r living in such a bad sucking place.
By Frank posted on May 16th, 2009
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I would've thought Canada…
By Rohit posted on May 18th, 2009
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there is a movie named "CITY OF GOD". watch it for a better insight to rio de janerio
By amy posted on May 19th, 2009
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i proud to be Malaysian.. Malaysia is among safe country in the world. All races stay in peace together
By Luis posted on May 21st, 2009
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All Abrica, all Asia, all Pallestin almost all South America is poor as is some parts of Brasil. Better say that better places to live are Europa, Japan, USA., Emirates… and thats all. Unfortunatelly.
By hostels in london posted on Jun 5th, 2009
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While there are many beautiful and nice places, your pictures shown me there are many places very bad. Even some countries are beauty and nice but still there is dangerous and no peace. I think Australia is the most safety place in the world.
By mecky posted on Jun 8th, 2009
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Malaysia is very nice place but snatch thefts, but all social ills , drugs, rape, house break-ins, road-bullies, armed robbery, murders, child abuse and battered domestic violence are very common. It is not save especially for the tourist.
By hostels in London posted on Jun 8th, 2009
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Yeah This is the only choice they have. I don't think this people dream was to be in this place and this way.
By Uncle B posted on Jun 19th, 2009
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Please post more like this on the net! Scour the U.S.S.R., and tell the truth of what happened there! More on South America especially Brazil, who have resolved their energy problems so well! Telling the truth about the U.S.A. , visiting the slums and the ruins will open eyes and change voting patterns for the common good! Sometimes, the folks well off enough to own computers can voice opinions, start movements, change votes, or even adjust living styles and the world through color pictures of the truth can improve! Keep up the good work. More details would be nice!
By gas card posted on Jun 26th, 2009
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When you look at places like these, you realize how lucky you are to be living where you are. Wow Linfen does look really polluted. I feel bad for those who are living there. You can really see just how much dust and smoke is in the air! It looks terrible. Wow.. the cancer rate must be extremely high! The lead problem in Kabwe is horrible as well. Man… polution… our world is really hurting
-Randy
By Love Poems & Quotes posted on Jul 5th, 2009
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It's really amazing how places like this have to go through such things. The people soon force themselves to become accustomed to this because there's no other way.
By MKV-to-AVI posted on Jul 7th, 2009
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By used tires posted on Jul 19th, 2009
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The fact that Brazil is on this list really does surprise me, I never knew Brazil had such bad places, I always thought it was a beautiful place, at least that is what I always hear!
Till then,
Jean
By ed hardy posted on Jul 21st, 2009
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i proud to be Malaysian.. Malaysia is among safe country in the world. All races stay in peace together
By Court Reporters posted on Jul 22nd, 2009
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I first time see this type of post. It's really sad things that many slum areas in the world.
By Furniture posted on Jul 26th, 2009
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yes we cant stay The slums of Mumbai, only the Oscard stay there, Slum Dog Millionaire
By Free Renibder posted on Jul 26th, 2009
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Indeed i would stay in this place. But i want to visite this places.
By Haruyoshi posted on Jul 30th, 2009
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hate all of them, dirty places!
By Haruyoshi posted on Jul 30th, 2009
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Nuclear bomb city, Russia, I ve been there!
By Liz posted on Jul 31st, 2009
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Where Haiti?
By Liz posted on Jul 31st, 2009
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Oooops! I meant to say (where is Haiti?). I think Cite soleil should be on this list.
By Dyski posted on Aug 13th, 2009
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Great article and great pictures selected to show how far can human careless expanse go before people noticed that they went too far. I would also add from myself that Feliks Dzerzhinsky was born in Poland and was a Pole technically. But Poles treat him as a murderer (he killed and ordered to kill dozens of people) and he is very unpopular in Poland – so that is truth – he is Russian leader. About those cities everything you showed reminds me how good it is that I live in civilized country. Those people will probably all die before 50 and will provide poor and sad life. We all that live in so called "civilization of west" are very lucky because of our richness. And even in years of worst crisis we provide much more safe and health life than they do. And I would also add that you don't want to live near South Pole – You would freeze and face 6 months long nights
By NJ Injury Lawyer posted on Aug 14th, 2009
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Watching the movie Slumdog Millionaire (which had scenes of the slums in India) made me realize how lucky we are to live with fresh water, clothes on our back, and a roof on top of our heads.
To many of us take it for granted, and when the time comes, it's always good to give to charity to support children in third world countries who do not have the amenities or lifestyles that we live.
By pantyliner posted on Oct 3rd, 2009
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Yes, you are right. I do not want to live in any of these places if I can avoid it.
By Cornwall Cottages posted on Oct 4th, 2009
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Yeah – I guess we're just used to the environment in which we grow up. It's always easier to move to somewhere nicer and bigger but never ok to move in the oppposite direction.
By Wheelchair Cleaner posted on Oct 4th, 2009
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Hopefully Rio de Jinero will get cleaned up in the near future between the world cup and the olympics. It is in a terrible state right now that Brazil needs to fix.
By MySpace Developers posted on Oct 5th, 2009
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Switzerland is really beautiful amongst all. Great places. Thanks for sharing
By Home Remedies posted on Oct 5th, 2009
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This is a great post and Great information with a good example with a message that is rarely discussed. Thanks for the post.
By php scripts posted on Oct 5th, 2009
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thanks a lot, very nice article.
By Google Android News posted on Oct 6th, 2009
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I think you right
By Windows 7 Tips posted on Oct 6th, 2009
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Agree with you
But I don't live in any places that you talk
By Richard posted on Oct 6th, 2009
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Hey thats me on a bike in white in black strip shirt, man you shouldev told me you were gonna take my picture, I wouldev worn my good shirt which is black in white strip
By webhostuk posted on Oct 6th, 2009
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I liked all the pics they are really too good.
By im guide posted on Oct 6th, 2009
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I hope such peoples at these 10 Places will not touching my skin,. They are maybe have HIV!
By Mommy Dearest posted on Oct 7th, 2009
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Some of those countries I have actually thought would be interesting to live in. India for one, I could do a stay there. Also, Rio is beautiful and I could live there as well. Lots of these countries get a bad image from pictures like this, but they are very affordable and have very nice parts to them.
By SG_Ohio posted on Oct 7th, 2009
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I have been to Rocinha once in my life, and must say it wasn't as bad as the article says it is. I certainly felt on edge (being an American), but there most certainly have to be worst places to live in the world.
By Personal Trainer MD posted on Oct 12th, 2009
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I lived in India before, its not bad at all.
By sparring gear set posted on Oct 14th, 2009
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I thought this was really sad, It's a shame that with state of the world as it is today. People still have to live this way. What are we doing to combat this..
By brobby posted on Oct 15th, 2009
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wow that really open your eyes to what we have here.
By George posted on Oct 15th, 2009
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amazing pictures, amazing camera
http://spectropoetics.com
By Action Man posted on Oct 17th, 2009
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I used to live in Rocinha and I can tell you it is hell. I was stabbed twice and the second time almost died from Septicimea. In the end I was given the chance to come to Europe by the church. They saved me.
By Action Man posted on Oct 17th, 2009
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I've lived in places like these and they are hell on earth.
By minthosk posted on Oct 22nd, 2009
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Oh MY GOD?there is still people live like that?
By seychelle islands posted on Nov 3rd, 2009
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Canada? >.< A lot of people don't realize how lucky they are and how good they have it. This is a wonderful post about places around the world and it's easy to see why you wouldn't want to live in these places!
By poquer posted on Nov 10th, 2009
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Government also announced a 34 billion reais ($17.3 billion) housing plan for low-income families in the country in March, aiming to build one million homes by 2011. Let's hope for the best.
By Esther posted on Nov 13th, 2009
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singapore is the best place to live. less pollution more safety
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