Life on the Rubbish Dump

Being a teacher at a school that supports the work of other Missionaries usually means that we are not confronted with the “Coal Face” of Cambodian Poverty on a regular basis. Yes there are beggars in the streets and disabled people struggling even to shuffle around, but they are interspersed with peddlers and shoppers and expatriates. Our day, like most other teachers, involves the rhythm of school prep and classroom delivery, playground duty and pastoral care.

Recently our family joined our Church to assist in their regular community work at two villages that rely on recycling goods for their income.

Nathan's photos from the first village.

We played games with the children, addressed first aid needs, told them the story of Jesus, gave them the opportunity to colour-in sheets, supplied fruit to eat, and finally gave the children a Christmas present each.

Playing games with the children.

The people of the first village drag around large wooden carts through the nearby city streets to collect recycling.

The second village we visited is directly adjacent to the rubbish tip. Here the people live out a hazardous and impoverished existence. An endless procession of trucks come and dump the city’s rubbish. The villagers crowd around the emptying truck hoping to get recyclable items No sooner has the truck pulled away, and a large bull dozer backs over the rubbish to compact it. The Caterpillar Dozer does not wait for people to move out of the way, he simply drives over the rubbish pile. Anyone too slow to move out of the path of the dozer is crushed.

Once the dozer has driven forward again, the next dump truck pulls into place and tips out its load. Young, old, male and female all play their part. The tip is large and in some places burning and smouldering. The smoke stings your eyes, the rubbish squelches under your shoes. The smell is putrid.

The people become covered in filth and start to blend in with the environment. There are 7 people in this photo, Can you see them all.

Some of the youngsters, left unsupervised, make up games to play with, and in, the rubbish. Like the car bumper toboggans.

It was a very different side of Cambodia. It is hard to take in, that these people live like this every day. Our Church visits here regularly and we hope to be involved in the ministry work here throughout the coming year. Please pray for the people who rely on recycling rubbish for their income as you read this blog post.

Fiona