The “Chrysalis Academy” provides young South Africans with a structure where discipline and training allow them to get out of the hell of gangs.
Due to the growing number of gangs in the port city of Cape Town, the number of homicides in 2021 was the highest in South Africa with 64 murders per 100,000 population compared to 37 in Johannesburg. By way of comparison, this rate is 5.5 in New York and only 1.2 in Paris.
The region created the Chrysalis Academy to help young people distance themselves from this violence. In this establishment where cell phones, cigarettes and narcotics are strictly prohibited, young people learn discipline and acquire professional skills.
Ten photos by Alessandro Iovino, who met a group of young women for AFP, recount their daily lives.