urban poverty in bangladesh - Gtz

An estimated 1 to 1.5 million of thosechildren “who do not go to schoolbut work” reside in Dhaka. Many boyswork at a shop (car/rickshaw garage,market, tailor, tea stall, etc.) from earlyas 7 or 8am in the morning to aslate as 12am at night. They take ordersfrom customers and do whateverthey are told to do. Most of the girls,on the other hand, work as domesticworkers/servants, and do cleaning,washing, and/or taking care of smallchildren in a house. Some children saythat they like working, and are willingto work, while some say they do notlike their job and want to quit. Despitethe diversity of children’s work in Dhaka,outsiders sometimes quickly judgeand define their work as so-called“child labor”, usually with the negativeimplications. Much literature, forexample, writes about so-called “childlaborers” and “working children” inDhaka to suggest that: they are disadvantaged,vulnerable, and subjectto economic exploitation; their workis unsafe, unhealthy, dangerous, andpoisonous; and, they are trapped inlow skilled and low return work thatpushes them further into the viciouscycle of “poverty.”Baby (age 11). Breaking bricks. Since Bangladesh is located in the world‘s largest delta,there are not enough sufficient materials to produce concrete for building constructions.Thus, there is such an occupation as „brick-breaking,“ which is categorized as a hazardouschild work by the ILO and UNICEF. The brick breakers work outside, under the sun, in theheat, and smash bricks into pieces that will be used as concrete producing materials.Showing me their adorable smiles andsmall hands, three „tokai“ boys (streetwaste-collectors), probably betweenthe ages of six and eight, shouted atme in English. Wherever and wheneveryou go (even at midnight!), beggarswill ask you to give them some Taka(money/petty cash). Even when youare in a car, they constantly bang onthe windows of your car, gesturing toshow how hungry they are, how smalland sick their babies are, and whatdisabilities they have.However, when I met those three boys,I was amused at how well they readthe situation between them and me.11