For 14-year-old Farhad Hossain, the stench of garbage has become a familiar scent. Each day, Farhad works tirelessly collecting waste in the bustling streets of Dhaka, Bangladesh's capital, a job he was forced into due to his family's financial difficulties. He dropped out of school after third grade, and now his daily routine is a test of endurance, leaving home each morning and often not returning until late at night. His reward for this gruelling labour is a mere Tk300-350 a day.
Farhad's parents are also engaged in low-income jobs, with his father working as a van driver and his mother as a domestic worker. Their combined incomes are barely enough to cover the family's basic needs, prompting Farhad to join the workforce at an early age.
Finding employment was not easy for Farhad. However, he discovered that waste collection work was more readily available compared to other jobs. He's been a part of this profession for about a year and a half.
Farhad's diet is often restricted to bread, bananas and tea from roadside stalls during the day, with rice as his only meal upon returning home. Despite the hardships, Farhad dreams of being able to afford three square meals a day for himself and his family.
Being surrounded by garbage all day was a challenge at first, Farhad admits, causing him to lose his appetite and suffer from gastric problems due to the unbearable smell. However, he has since learned to adapt, stating: “If we are afraid of germs, how can helpless people like us live? There are many germs, dirt and bad things. Everything goes away when you go home and take a bath.”
However, experts warn about the potential health risks of such exposure to waste. According to a Unicef survey, over half of the children involved in such jobs suffer from ailments like fever, cough, headache, and water-borne diseases, with the risk of death being a grim reality.
Tahmina Ferdowsi, a child health and nutrition expert at Save the Children, underlines the importance of hygiene for child health, stating that children exposed to such conditions are at risk of both physical and mental harm.
Similarly, retired paediatrician Dr Mohammad Mehdi Hasan warns about the increased risk of diseases like asthma, cough, skin conditions and waterborne illnesses among street children. Additionally, malnourishment is a prevalent issue due to irregular meals and constant exposure to garbage.
Dr Hasan believes that societal awareness and support can make a significant difference for these children, emphasizing the need for everyone to understand their plight and provide assistance whenever possible.
Despite the physical risks and hardships, Farhad and many like him continue to navigate through life amidst germs and waste, their resilience shining through their circumstances, even as they dream of a better future.