Photographer Lara Jacinto is the Edge of Humanity Magazine contributor of this social documentary photography. From her project ‘Inner North‘. To see Lara’s projects click on any photograph.
The inner north of Portugal has been forgotten and neglected for a long time and is currently one of the poorest regions of the country.
Its landscape is marked by the abandonment of the lands, villages and factories, ruins which evoke memories of better times, job opportunities, more people and children.
Life here seems overshadowed by loneliness, apathy, emptiness, hopelessness and uncertainty regarding the future.
When confronted with the difficulties of the hard rural life, most young people dream about leaving the region and country. Those who stay, face the monotony and days that repeat themselves over and over again.
Portugal crosses one of the toughest moments since the end of the dictatorship in 1974. The austerity policies, adopted by the Portuguese government, drove many families into poverty, mortgaging the country’s future.