Stung Meanchey Dump

Stung Meanchey is the only dump in Phnom Penh.
The dump was started over 40 years ago and is operated in an unregulated manner.
The dump covers 6.8 hectors (100 achre) and the waste is piled up more than five metres deep.
Every day there are 400 trucks that arrive full of garbage from the city. Over 900 tons of garbage is dumped each day.
There are over 3000 scavengers or “waste pickers” who live and work at the dump site.
The garbage emits methane gas. They nickname the dump “Smokey Mountain” because smoke rises from all the waste. There are often gas explosions and fires in the dump.
Fumes from sewage and burning garbage fill the air.
Bad coughs are common and many of the workers complain of frequent headaches and dizziness.
People run behind garbage trucks without thinking of their safety.
Some garbage workers come with all family members, husband, wife and children.
Children have to abandon school for making money to support family. Most give all their money to parent to pay for debt.
A family can earn 3000riels to 4000riel ($1 Canadian) a day from working morning until night.
They have to use this money to buy rice and food to support their family that can often have seven to ten people living together.
In rainy season it is very muddy, clothes of garbage workers are black and dirty. In dry season, smoke rises from the garbage. It is methane gas.
There are places that sell Cambodian noodle, risk and cake for garbage workers who need food. Food is surrounded by many flies. The price is 600riels (0.15 Canadian) per bowl of soup.
People have a meal without washing hands because it has very little water for even water for washing bowl, dish and spoon of sellers. Most times they have to wash the bowls with black water.
Many children suffer from physical abuse. Children often get punished if they don’t make enough money during the day.
Garbage pickers pick all things that can be sold.
Many of the children are orphans. The number of orphans increases as parents die from disease such as HIV/AIDs.
Most are looking for recycling materials that they can sell to a small local recycling business.
Most of the people working at Stun Meachchey are teenagers. Some children as young as six or seven years old work with their parents or by themselves at the dump. There are people of all ages.
People work from sunrise to sunset and sometimes until ten o’clock at night. It’s most dangerous at night when they can’t see what they’re grabbing or where they are stepping.
Needles are common. The kids collect the plastic containers from the needle. The plastic is worth one penny each. Many children cut themselves on needles and glass.
Many kids do not have proper footwear. Some have flip flops and others go barefoot.
If the kids don’t make money, the parents get very angry at them.
Some parents are so poor that they have to sell there kids.
Several kids are killed at Stung Meanchey every year, usually a result of a truck backing over them.

Article:
Hell on Earth, Stung Meanchey

Life in a Garbage Dump

“Stung Meanchey is like hell on Earth:”

The garbage area is surrounded by 3 nearer villages, covers almost 6 hectares of land. It is located west of Stung Mean Chey bridge about 2 kilometers away. Before reaching to the garbage mount we can see many depot of used things picked from garbage dump. If you go nearer the smell is inspired little by little. When you arrived at the place you will feel question that what are they doing with garbage?

In rainy season it is very muddy, clothes of garbage workers blackened and dirty. In dry season mountain like smoke area, smoke come out from garbage. At the place they are selling Cambodian noodle, rice and cake for garbage workers who need food. Food are surrounded by plenty of fly, price is 600riels (0.15US$) per bowl. It is suitable to workers income. They have meal without washing hand because it has very little water even water for washing bowl, dish and spoon of sellers. A lady seller was washing her bowl with black water. She used to be garbage worker after that she have changed her business to be noodle seller almost 5 years ago. She gains about 6,000riels(1.50US$) a day. Her clients are only garbage workers.

There are 9 depot of garbage located beside the way to garbage mountain. A middleman said that all the garbage have to pack it and send to sell in Vietnam. Sometimes Vietnamese come to buy here he does not need to take it to Vietnam. He every day spend 100 to 300 US$ to buy garbage. Presently, price is down a lady, middleman said that she lose 7,000 US$ which has been invested because Vietnamese middleman reduce the price. She loan cash from bank therefore she has to sell her land to return to bank otherwise bank will seize her properties.

Garbage workers said so far they heard government would invest this land to a Japanese company (unknown investment). They are unhappy to hear because they will lose their daily business to support family. They are running behind garbage truck without thinking to any incidents. The very bad smell that is unable to bear. But living condition has forced them to work as garbage pickers even they know that it is dangerous for their health. Some garbage workers come with all family members, husband, wife and children. Children have to abandon school for making money to support family. A man said that his family could earn 3000riels to 4000riel (1US$) a day he work from morning till evening. He cannot make change of his living condition. Most they live day by day. Mr Thoeun, 39 years old, 9 years in garbage workers said: I also want to chance my business but I have no hope that it can be changed because my children are not going to school for higher education. My children decided to abandon school, I have no money to pay for their education. A girl, 16 years old said: I decided to quit school because I have to help my mother to release dept what she has loaned cash from middleman. A pregnant woman said: I am pregnant but I still come to work as garbage picker because I have to earn money for giving birth to my baby. A garbage picker with torn boot, hopeless is walking to pick garbage. Every day there are 400 trucks with full of garbage from the city. Many people come to it, which do not think about self security at all, this is the life that really need to live daily. In fact there were 4 people died by the crash the trucks. They were urgently seizing for better garbage. From 06:00 to 18:00 they can earn 10,000 riels (2.5$) for adults and 4000 riles (1$) for children. They give all income to parent to pay for dept.

We believe that no child deserves to live in a garbage dump.

From the Mouth of Kids

Links

Leaving Stung Meanchey – click here