New Generation of Sand Fishers

• Photographer
  Philipp Schmieja
• Technical Info
  Sony A93, 85mm Gm Ii
• Photo Date
  Januar 2025

Her little steps are like prayers in the sand. And her face tells stories that go beyond her young age. She is a Bozo girl. For the Bozo people in Mali, fishing on the Niger has always been their main source of income. But now climate change is being felt here too: water levels are low, and only a few fish get caught. As a result, many families leave their villages to become “sand fishers” in Bamako. The city has an insatiable hunger for cement and sand. With their only tool being a bucket they painstakingly unload their boats. It’s a laborious, barely profitable job—and yet the only chance.

Self-taught photographer and passionate traveler. I discovered my passion for photography during traveling African countries. I had developed a fascination for tribes. This has been underpinned by my passion for photography. Tribal people are those who have unique customs. They often have a symbiotic bond with the environments in which they live. I am using photography as a medium to capture candid moments as well as community spirit and portraits.