She goes to work at 9 in the morning. Whole day, she segregates garbage, sorting recyclable things like plastic metals and others from the rubbish.
She, however, is unaware of the hazards that exposure to such litters can pose to her health.
Khatun has also gotten used to the foul order wafting from rotten garbage all around her every day. She even sustains injuries every day. "While segregating the scraps, I frequently get injured by broken glasses, syringes and metal wires," complained Khatun. She, however, has not received any kind of treatment and is oblivious to the possible consequences of such injuries. "It is not possible for me to go to the hospital for treatment as I get injured every day," she said. She said that her children have to sleep on an empty stomach if she misses work at the garbage station even for a day. She also does not know that it is necessary to wear mask or gloves while sorting garbage. [break]
Khatun submits all the recyclable refuge she collects to a scrap dealer, who pays her a wage of Rs 300 per day. The money she earns from collecting scraps sustains her seven-member family. She has to pay Rs 1,500 rent for a hut where her family lives. She complained that her husband, who works at a sweet shop in Narayangarh does not provide her any money. "He does not give money. He comes only to quarrel with me and make me pregnant," she complained. She was married at the early age of 13. She said that her husband visits them only once in every two to three months.
She said that she takes loan from contractors during emergencies like when her children fall sick. "I have taken loans for treatment of Sohana. She is prone to illnesses," she added. Four months old Sohana is her youngest daughter. She said that she gave birth to her all children at home.
Meena´s aunt Hasina´s tale is not different than hers. Hasina, 35, is also a mother of five children. She is also a rag-picker and sorts garbage at metropolis´s transfer station. She said that her two daughters Apsana, 19, and Najrana, 17, are married. Apsana has a two-year-old son. Najrana is expecting a baby. She said that she had to spend her earnings in the treatment of her husband, who gets ill frequently. "He has respiratory problems that might have been caused by excessive exposure to hazardous waste," she said. Hasina also has taken loan from contractors for the treatment of her husband. "I am not well today, but I have to go to work because I have to pay the debt," she said.
Like Meena and Hasina, dozens of women, mostly of Tarai region work at the metropolis transfer station. Ironically, all of them are risking their health to just to survive.
Children of scrap collectors do not go school
Though a public school is just 200 meters away from her rented room, Khatun said none of her children go to school. She said that she tried hard to send them to school but failed. "I have to go to work at 9 am in the morning. After I leave, they spend whole day playing and collecting the scraps," she complained.
Khatun´s elder son Rajulla is 13 years old, Gurulla 11, Javed 8 and Salman 3. "All the children of their age attend school but my children don´t," she said. She said her elder children love to play and fight with other children of the settlement. Khatun herself has never stepped into a school till date. "I did not get a chance to go to a school but I wish my children to study," she complained. She is worried about the future of her children.
Hasina said that she sends Khushi, 12, Mohammad, 8, and Arman, 5, at a nearby Shree Mahendra Saraswati Lower Secondary School, but said that they often bunk classes. She said that she wishes the future of her children to be better than hers.
Sujata Pedar, 14, a fifth-grader at the same school, said that she cannot continue her study as her parents are preparing for her marriage. She said that her sister had been married at the age of 13. When asked what she wants to be in future, she said, "nothing." "I cannot continue my study. My parents will marry me this year." Pedar is youngest among her 10 siblings. She said that all her 12 members´ family reside in a single room and all collect scraps for living.
Sarada Adhikari, principal of the school, said that Pedar is a good student and teachers have been encouraging her not to drop out. "We have been giving scholarships to her. We also tried to persuade her parents not to marry her off, but they say it is their culture to marry daughter at an early age," she said.
She said that over 90 percent students of her school are children of scrap collectors, laborers and domestic helps serving well of families in Kathmandu. The school provides scholarships, free stationary, and uniforms to children from poor background but such children do not continue study. The school administration said that dropout rate is very high despite that the school and several nongovernmental organizations have been also providing scholarships to such children.
"We see our students carrying sacks collecting scraps after school. When they see us, they feel uneasy and stop coming to school from the next day," said Manju Acharya, another teacher of the school.
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