DIO

© Fabrice MBONANKIRA - Image from the DIO photography project

Dates

2019 - 2019
Author

Fabrice MBONANKIRA
Topics Portrait, Daily Life, Documentary
Location Bujumbura Mairie, Burundi

This is the story of Dieudonné, a man living with a physical disability of 36 years married since 2004 and father of four children.

This is the story of Dieudonné, a 36-year-old man who has been married since 2004 and has four children.

Dieudonné called "Dio" by his close friends whom I also belong to recently, is handicapped since 2000, following a disease of pulmonary fever according to him, which made him paralyzed at the level of legs, inflated his torso and stopped the growth of its members.

He runs his business in downtown Bujumbura, where he has a food and other products stand.

Thanks to this business, he manages to take care of his family alone because his wife is unemployed.

He lives in a popular neighborhood in the suburbs of the city, where he rents a 3-room house for himself and his family.

This project traces the daily life of this man who has abandoned the beggar life since 2007 to make a living like any other person.

November 21, 2019,Kinama, Bujumbura,Burundi Location of Dio's house(C) , His wife sees him gradually move away from home to the bus stop to downtown Bujumbura where he trades. Pushed by his son in his wheelchair for the disabled person.He runs his business in downtown Bujumbura, where he has a food and other products stand.

November 21, 2019, Kinama, Bujumbura,Burundi Dio in the direction of the bus stop, pushed by his son on his wheelchair for disabled person. In order to take the bus to the city center. He runs his business in downtown Bujumbura, where he has a food and other products stand.

November 21, 2019, Kinama, Bujumbura,Burundi Always helped by the driver for his installation in the bus. He is obliged to be the first passenger of the bus in order to have the appropriate place for his situation. It should be noted that almost the entire public transport fleet in the city of Bujumbura has not been developed to accommodate people with disabilities. It is a daily problem to take the bus for someone with a major physical disability.

November 21, 2019, Kinama, Bujumbura,Burundi In the eyes of a father, the safety and well-being of his children, whatever his physical condition, there is always the paternal instinct that arises. DIO looks at his son who is going home but "all the while his son is with him every morning to take his bus, he never stopped worrying just by imagining that his son could cross the road full of dangers ". He confessed to me.

November 21, 2019, Rohero, Bujumbura,Burundi On arrival at destination, it's the same ritual with the bus driver. He has to wait until all the bus passes are out so that he can finally get out and take the stroller driver's relay himself (but this time, I was with him so it was me who made the push). It should be noted that almost all the public transport fleet in the city of Bujumbura has not been transformed to accommodate people with disabilities. So, it's a daily problem when it comes to taking a bus for a person with a major physical disability.

November 21, 2019, Rohero (downtown), Bujumbura,Burundi Portrait of Dio posing at his workplace just before the display of the goods

November 21, 2019, Rohero (downtown), Bujumbura,Burundi Dio and the person who helping him to display his goods at work.

November 19, 2019, Rohero (downtown), Bujumbura,Burundi The location of the workplace of Dieudonne a.k.a Dio. It is in the city center of Bujumbura, right in front of the wrecks (which still remain today) of the old central market of Bujumbura. It used to be the lungs of the city's economy. But today, it is the symbol of the fall of many traders and their families who found their financial happiness during his glory time. The wrecks of what made the city of Bujumbura citizens and Burundian citizens in general, are still there and I have the impression that they do not intend to move. Six years ago, an unprecedented fire ravaged the central market of Bujumbura. The central market of Bujumbura, "economic lung" of the Burundian capital and the country as a whole, went up in smoke on January 27, 2013. The fire, whose cause has not yet been determined, was declared dawn, at a time when the market was still closed and lasted for hours, without causing casualties.

November 19, 2019, Rohero (downtown), Bujumbura,Burundi Dio interacting with a customer

November 19, 2019, Kinama, Bujumbura,Burundi In the evening at Dio's house with his family