Dear MEL Topic Readers,
Toxic cost of rubbish scavenging in East Timor
Where there are people who dump unnecessary items and trash, there are people who pick them up to sell. It’s easy to say working in unregulated dump site is hazardous to health, but it is the absolute and only place for those who make living out of rubbish.
East Timor is a sovereign state in Maritime Southeast Asia with a population of about 1.2 million. It became independent in 2002 after 25 years of military suppression by Indonesia. While people enjoyed a long-awaited peace and pride of their own country, nearly half of the population still lives in poverty, and many of them rely on subsistence farming. Infrastructure, legal system, and education are all far from desired levels, not to mention the health and environmental regulations.
So, here at the Tibar landfill near the capital, Dili, there are numbers of people, children to 60’s or 70’s, men or women, are all busy sorting the rubbish trying to find anything that can be sold; metal, cans, and bottles to make their living.
Enjoy reading and learning what’s behind the scene of this tropical paradise.
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