Rebecca, aged one, sits on the bottom bunk, which she shares with her mother, Sandra, and all their worldly possessions in a dormitory of 40 women and children in an Auberge in Ixtapec, Mexico. They lived in El Salvador, but left because the violence caused by the marabuntas (aka ‘maras’ a form of gang originating in the United States which spread to Central America). Sandra’s mother had a store and the mara was demanding money and when they refused then they killed one of her brothers and took her other brother. Once Sandra became pregnant she decided she could no longer live with the violence in El Salvador and decided to flee for their safety. They are not legally allowed to be in Mexico so they are take refuge in the Auberge until they receive legal documents to be in Mexico.
Christina Simons is an award winning international documentary photographer focused on human rights and civil liberties. Her work is driven by the exploration of sub-cultures and marginalised people, leading to exhibitions worldwide. Her work traverses many interests and is represented in publications such as The New York Times and The Guardian as well as working with several NGOs including Medecines Sans Frontieres.
