Scavengers Search For Anything That Can Be Eaten Or Sold
The largest garbage dump in Indonesia is located in Bekasi, on the outskirts of Jakarta. Each day, over 1,000 hectares of trash arrive from... Show moreThe largest garbage dump in Indonesia is located in Bekasi, on the outskirts of Jakarta. Each day, over 1,000 hectares of trash arrive from throughout West Java. 3,000 scavengers work there, looking for items to sell or eat, one third of whom are children, some as young as three years old. The children earn around 5000-8000 Pr. ($.50-$.80) per week and their families live in makeshift shelters assembled at the dump from scraps found there. Children face multiple dangers as they dart back and forth turning over fresh trash. Disease is rampant, as well as the dangers of being killed by a bulldozer, falling through the trash and becoming trapped, or being burned by smoldering garbage. Show less
