At the harbour of Ponta do Sol, Santo Antao

The steep north-east coast of Santo Antao enchants with its raw wildness, yet it offers no safe harbours against the wind and waves crashing here from the open Atlantic against the westernmost island of Cape Verde. Therefore, ships must drop anchor off the coast and transfer the cargo onto small rowing boats.

Women carry the sacks from the boats up onto a waiting lorry, where four men declare themselves responsible for the proper placement of each sack. Quite obviously, the division of labour is at the expense of the women, on whose backs, as so often, the entire community is carried.