All images © Kevin Moloney


Aline da Silva, one of seven daughters of Absolón and Somália da Silva, draws on the floor of the family's living room. Paper, pens and even furniture are scarce. The family has difficulty affording the small fees and supplies needed to send their daughters to school.



Somália sits outside a Rio de Janeiro clinic with a line of other women awaiting pregnancy test results. After 15 years of nearly constant pregnancy and with six mouths to feed, the possibility of another pregnancy caused a great deal of anxiety. Somália had tried birth control pills this time, but improper use rendered them ineffective.



On the day of his long-awaited wedding, Absolón da Silva polishes a brass ring with toothpaste to make it “shine like gold.” Absolón had long been unsuccessful in convincing Somália to marry him. She was too embarrassed to walk down the aisle with a pregnant belly.



Daughters Erica and Aline peek under the bedroom door to watch their mother dress for her wedding. Absolón and Somália were married in a small Catholic church across the street from their house in Vigário Geral.



Somália stares nervously toward her daughters lined up in pews as she and Absolón exchange rings. Daughter Jessica, loath to leave her mother’s side even during the wedding, hovers at their feet.


All images © Kevin Moloney

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