The Gallery
All text and photographs copyright of Our Forgotten Children
Colombia
Nueva Horizonte in Zone 1 sits high above the city of Medellin. In truth, it's at the bottom of the barrel.
But you get free phone calls if you live there, and a state of the art cable car system that will propel you up from downtown in ten minutes flat.
As you step out, the air seems clearer, the people have a spring in their step. A boy on a bike calls out “Gracias”. David Bowie sings “Let's Dance”. And what a view! This must be the best located slum in the world.
None of this negates Medellin's fearsome reputation as a chronically violent, drug-driven city, or its ranking as one of the world's poorest in terms of child abuse. But the steps that have been taken to remedy them are nothing short of remarkable.
The children push forward, eager to show us around. How long will you stay? Did you come by plane? Can you show me what a dollar looks like?
Johan, Kevin, Dylan and Daniel take to the street for a round of Elimina - two players a side, the first to score three goals wins.
The street is so steeply raked that ball control is everything. A missed pass and you've got a twelve storey trip to retrieve it.
Indeed, the name Nueva Horizonte seems borderline perverse. Until you realize its true meaning - 'new horizon'. Which could hardly be more apt.