In Guinea-Bissau, they were dubbed remains of tuga, in Angola, leftovers of the white. They were not born yet or were still children when their parents left these territories. Today, they are in their 40s or 50s, but when they speak of the Portuguese father whom they want to meet it is as if they become children again and they cry while say they feel like a half-person, incomplete.
These images were taken by photojournalist Manuel Roberto and are part of two new articles published by the newspaper Público, written by the journalist Catarina Gomes, with video images by Ricardo Rezende.
In 2013 the team travelled to Guinea-Bissau to find children who were left behind, a work that was distinguished with the Multimédia Gazeta Award, by the Journalists’ Club. Following this report the Association Fillhos de Tuga (Children of the Tuga) was created and left a wreath to the unknown father in the cemetery of Bissau. This year the team returned to Angola to find more children. These are images of some of these stories.
The exhibition seeks to give visibility to a taboo subject in the Portuguese society that has been stored in a drawer for over 40 years. Ex-combatants left children in Africa. They exist, they are many, and would like to meet their Portuguese fathers.
A part of the history of Portugal that has to be told.