Natives Suffer While Tourists Flourish: The Reality Of Cape Verde's Resorts

Endless beaches, majestic mountains and villages with multi-coloured houses: Cape Verde has become one of the hottest new destinations for Instagrammers. Here, tourists can enjoy a week in an all-inclusive resort for as little as €700, including travel. But virtually none of this benefits the islands. Indeed, the lack of opportunities and a severe drought mean that some women have to resort to stealing sand from the sea floor to survive. The islands are on the frontline of global warming. It has hardly rained in the past seven years. While tourists enjoy numerous, huge swimming pools and are unaware of the crisis, families in Cape Verde are restricted to a few 25-litre containers of water per day. All food and supplies for the hotels are imported from wherever they can be sourced cheapest, providing no benefit to the local economy. On many of the islands’ beaches, the sand has completely disappeared; for years, the women of Ribeira da Barca have been stealing sand to sell to the construction industry. These women carry no fewer than 50 kilograms of sand on their heads each trip. Most of them can’t swim, so they are risking their lives every time they enter the sea; for this, they earn approximately a mere €10 a week. This documentary reveals the harsh realities behind Cape Verde’s beauty, exposing the struggles of its people amid environmental crisis and economic inequality. --- SUBSCRIBE for more amazing stories, including free FULL documentaries. On Java Discover we have an incredible library of award-winning documentaries: from world-leading investigations to true crime and history, we have something for everyone! Click the SUBSCRIBE button and make sure to set NOTIFICATIONS to stay updated with all new content! Follow us on TikTok, Facebook & Instagram: https://linktr.ee/javadiscover