Page 239 - Essencials of Sociology

The Dump People: Working and Living and Playing

in the City Dump of Phnom Penh, Cambodia

I did. And there I found
I went to Cambodia to inspect orphan- a highly developed social
ages, to see how well the children are being organization—an intricate
cared for. While in Phnom Penh, Cambodia's support system. Because words are
capital, I was told about people who live in the inadequate to depict the abject poverty
city dump. Live there? I could hardly believe of the Least Industrialized Nations, these
my ears. I knew that people made their living photos can provide more insight into these
by picking scraps from the city dump, but I people's lives than anything I could say.
didn't know they actually lived among the
garbage. This I had to see for myself.

After the garbage arrives by truck, people stream around it,
struggling to be the first to discover something of value. To sift
through the trash, the workers use metal picks, like the one this
child is holding. Note that children work alongside the adults.

The children who live in the dump also play there. These
children are riding bicycles on a “road,” a packed, leveled
area of garbage that leads to their huts. The huge stacks in
the background are piled trash. Note the ubiquitous Nike.

This is a typical sight—family and friends working
together. The trash, which is constantly burning,
contains harmful chemicals. Why do people
work under such conditions? Because they have
few options. It is either this or starve.

© James M. Henslin, all photos