Brazil's Child River Traders
Every day, 14-year-old Jesse risks life and limb to jump aboard boats cruising the Tajaparu River in Brazil's Amazonian basin.
In a dangerous manoeuvre, he latches his canoe onto passing ferries and scrambles on deck. It isn't a game -- Jesse makes a couple of dollars a day by peddling fruit and jam on the large passenger ferries that cruise the river.
Al Jazeera's stunning report follows Jesse and his friends' exploits as they work the river trade system.
For Jesse's family, every day is a struggle. Some days they eat, some days they don't. On a daily basis, Jesse completes gut-churning feats to scrape up money to help support his family.
"Fourteen-year-old Jesse is among those who risk death just to make a few pennies," Al Jazeera notes. "The little money Jesse brings home is a small contribution to his family's income. His family of 12 adults and 16 children live in a house on stilts over the water."
Sadly, Jesse's story ends in tragedy. Watch the full report from Al Jazeera in the video above.
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First Posted: 02/ 9/2012 2:02 pm Updated: 02/ 9/2012 2:35 pm