Photojournalism
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March 6, 2010 - A homeless man from Slovakia begs with his dog Bimba at the Piazza della Repubblica in Florence, Italy. His sign reads, "20 cents for you is nothing! For us it's life! Help us!" It is difficult to determine how many homeless there are in Italy, but a 2000 study counted 17,000, of whom 500-1,500 reside in Florence. Many disagree with these numbers and estimate the actual number, as a 1992 study suggested, is at least 50,000 and could be as high as 80,000 people. This number does not take into account the Roma, more commonly referred to as gypsies, who many times live in extreme poverty and beg for money each day. It is estimated that about 150,000 gypsies live within Italy’s borders. Photo/Christopher Weigl