In Cambodia’s capital, Phnom Penh, lies Stung Mean Chey Municipal Waste Dump. Over 700 tons of the countries garbage arrives here every day and over 3000 families work there and live in the villages that surround it.
 
 
 
Risk of Death The children that work on the dump risk their lives every day, often cutting their feet on glass or infected by dirty syringes and doctors needles hidden amongst the rubbish.
 
The garbage pickers have to use the rubbish dump as a toilet as there is nowhere else to go. With the lack of any sanitation, diseases are easily spread.
 
Malnutrition A poor diet means most of the children are stunted or underweight. In desperation, they eat old, rotten food found amongst the waste. Forced into drugs and prostitution Working throughout the day and night means children have to abandon any hope of an education. Their sole concern is their daily fight for survival. The children have learned to trust no one, not even their families. It is not uncommon for parents to sell their children into prostitution in order to provide for the rest of the family. 24 hours a day, children scavenge across 100 acres of stinking, disease ridden, rotten garbage in search of tin-cans, plastic bags, glass bottles and any scrap that can be sold or recycled. Children work 12 hours a day in the intense heat often collapsing through exhaustion and hunger. Life on the dump