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 Our Garbage World
Words by Compassion Australia Edited by Jenny Baxter The 21 million residents of Mexico City produce more than 12,500 tonnes of garbage every day. Some ends up in Sierra de Guadalupe dump, where every morning, 300 men, women and children climb the mountain of rubbish to look for useful discards – and a livelihood.
Ricarda and Francisco are two people who are sustained by this massive garbage world. Both live within the same block and have children who are assisted by Compassion.
Francisco (35) provides for his wife and six children. It is dangerous to work at the dump – he recently dislocated his knee when a truck dumped garbage on his leg. Now he cannot work. While Francisco is at home recovering, his oldest son, Joel (16) has taken his father’s place in the dump and is the sole provider for the family.
When he was well, Francisco would make about 800 pesos ($A69) per day by selling the plastic he found. On Sundays, he would sell the toys, clothes or trinkets he found at the market.
Ricarda (54) cares for her two grandchildren, Carlos (14) and Esau (10), who were abandoned by her daughter. She has struggled to make ends meet since her abusive husband left. She began gathering plastic bottles to sell for additional income and eventually ended up foraging at the dump. Working with Carlos, she makes about $A23 every three days and will sometimes gather up to 7kg of plastic.
No place for a child The smell of the dump is hard to describe. Bags of waste mix with rotten food and even dead animals. The air is thick with flies. Those who work there face life-threatening health problems, but the dump is their only means of survival.
No one here complains. They are proud people and grateful to be able to provide for their children, even at the risk to their own health.
The touch of Compassion Ricarda has raised Carlos and Esau as her own since they were tiny. Esau is a quiet and insightful 10 year old. He is assisted by the local Compassion child development centre and the support he receives there has contributed to his success at school. The picture above shows Ricarda and Esau on the rubbish dump.
All three now live in a small room, about three metres square. The house holds a twin bed, a table, a small stove and a wooden box that serves as a shelf to keep their dishes as well as a seat next to the door.
A different future Aaron (7) is the fourth child of Francisco and his wife, and was born with a genetic problem that has challenged his development. He was registered at the Compassion child development centre after some friends of the family invited them to come to church so they could find a way to help their child.
At first, he did not talk or relate to others and he could not stand straight or walk well. Now, after just a couple of years, he is enjoying independence. He is able to relate to other children and play. He is able to stand firm. He is able to talk and although there is still a gap between his real age and his development, he is catching up. A teacher at the centre is now helping to get Aaron into a specialised school.
Aaron and Esau often walk together to the centre. These boys are resourced by the dump now, but they have a different hope for the future – and they know it is possible. They have the love and support of their family and church, and they have the chance to choose a life away from the dumps and the poverty that traps so many there. Find out how to sponsor a child here Thursday April 29 is Compassion Day. Listen to Ultra106five all day and support Compassion with their work with underprivileged children and their communities. They hope to sponsor 1600 children that day! To find out more click here. |
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