The father of the street girls of Katutura (Swiss Stories 2015, by Christian Bobst) - Swiss Press Award
Tagesanzeiger.ch
Christian Bobst
The photo reportage "The Father of the Street Girls" tells the story of girls and women who, due to bitter poverty, are forced to prostitute themselves in order to survive, and of Pastor Hermann Klein-Hitpass, known to everyone simply as Father Hermann. At Father Hermann's day care center in the "Katutura" slum of the Namibian capital, Windhoek, the girls and women receive food, clothing, and sometimes a little money, but above all, they find Father Hermann there, who always has a sympathetic ear for them, listens to them and advises them, sings and prays with them, gives them attention, and allows them to experience the charity that others deny them. The documentary accompanies the women in their everyday lives, which they must face anew every day as those at the very bottom of the social structure. It shows strong girls and women who, despite their severe traumas and with the help of Father Hermann, fight for a better life and a way out of prostitution, for themselves and their children. But father Hermann's age and deteriorating health are affecting his work: the daycare center is about to close, and there is no successor in sight.
