(Left to right) Ntsimba Marie Jeanne, businesswoman and sapeuse for 20 years, Okili Nkoressa, 10-year-old student and sapeur for five years, and Judith Nkoressa, policewoman and sapeuse for 18 years, in Brazzaville.

Photo by Tariq Zaidi.

Tariq’s aim is to highlight the important role ‘La Sape’ plays in its practitioners’ defiance of circumstance, through the stark contrast of the elegance of their dress against the harsh backdrop of their surroundings. Both Congo nations are in one of the world’s poorest regions, and so, at first glance, La Sape are an extraordinary sight.

Photo is from Tariq’s book Sapeurs https://www.tariqzaidi.com/p573991889