You can lose your job.
But not who you are.

Stories in Light – Brazil.
Episode 1: Gugu.

As a little boy, his godfather gave him the nickname Gugu.
Since then, no one has ever called him anything else.

I met Everson (42) on the Costa Dourada in Bahia, Brazil. For years he worked as a freshwater fisherman on the Rio Doce.

His life revolved around the river.
That’s where he earned his living.
Where he found freedom.
Where he belonged.

Until November 5, 2015.

That day, the Mariana dam collapsed. Toxic mining waste flooded into the Rio Doce, causing the largest environmental disaster in Brazil’s history. The river became heavily polluted. Fish disappeared.

For thousands of fishermen, it meant losing their work overnight — and with it, their future.

Gugu was one of them.

Today he mostly works in construction.
But whenever he can, he still returns to the water.

You can lose your job.
But not who you are.