An overview of Alexandria Township taken from the Jukskei River Bridge. The rubble in the foreground is a product of the ANC government's demolition of shanties dangerously close to the Jukskei River which is infected with cholera and frequently floods.
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Alona Mthimkhunu lives with her mother and four siblings in a small shanty in Alexandria Township, an extremely overpopulated and impoverished black township in the Johannesburg area. The Mthimkhunu's home has neither running water nor electricity and the roof is so low that an adult has to stoop when entering the shanty. Alona's mother, Aleicia, is currently unemployed but receives some money from her sister who works as a domestic servant. Ms. Mthimkhunu's biggest concern is the crime which is so rampant in Alexandria Township. The Township, which is across the highway from one Johannesburg's wealthiest suburbs, is known to have one of the highest murder rates in the world. Alona attends Emfundisweni Junior Primary School, an all-black government school in Alexandria where overcrowding and theft of school property are two of the biggest problems.
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