Joy Saha, Survival amidst Pollution (PEOPLE 2025)

Web:

www.joy-saha.com

Child laborers searching for recyclable materials amid the toxic fumes and a mountain of waste in Chittagong’s dumping yard. With bare hands and unprotected bodies, they collect discarded items from these rubbish heaps throughout the day. Acting as informal shopkeepers, they sell their collections to local scrap dealers, earning around USD 1.20. They are exposed to severe health risks as the air is thick with poisonous smoke from burning waste. Yet, within this inhospitable environment, they continue digging through the rubble, in a fight for their lives. Because of extreme poverty, children like them are forced into hazardous labor at an age meant for education and play, their lives shaped by circumstances far beyond their control.

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