Chánov consists of housing built on the outskirts of Most, CZ. The housing estate was built for the Roma community in the 70s by the Czechoslovak Communist authorities.
Those that live in Chánov are isolated from the rest of the neighboring cities and often have trouble finding jobs as well as community outside of the housing estate.
When visiting Chánov Cenda and I worked with several families, photographing and learning their stories. Each person photographed received images of themselves or their family.
"So we're... I'm glad I live here. I'm not ashamed of Chánov, I was just almost born here, I say almost, because I was about nine months old when I actually came. So we grew up here, we're used to it." "Exactly, and our apartment building is almost all ours. Because my mom's here, I'm on the second floor, and my brother's on the third one. So we have clean hallways, we don't have like..." (Translated from Czech)
“One percent. One percent of these kids are the kind that just stand out. And most of the time it’s the kids that stand out, though, that take the heat. Because, of course, most of them don’t like it, right? It’s just that everybody’s the same, yeah. That there’s no standing out. So if that kid is somehow smarter, more skilled, more praised, yeah, more promoted or whatever, the majority will start to, if I say it stupidly, bully them.” (Translated from Czech)
School Corridor
Boys
Together
After School
Mom and Daughter
At Home
Through the Curtain
School Storage
Inside the Rubble
Reaching
Mother and Daughter
Boy on Bike
Memorabilia
Housing Estate
Friends
Girls
Boys - Friends
Open!
Family