Hola a todos,
...I'd like to introduce you to Guatemala City'sMunicipal Garbage Dump.
The dump is located in a natural ravine in the center of the Guatemala City. The ravine spans about 40 acres of land. All the garbage from the 3.5 million residents of Guatemala City and four surrounding towns is dumped here. Nine hundred and twenty yellow trucks can dump up to three times a day, depositing (in our best estimate, but nothing official) 1000 tons of garbage in the dump daily.
There are no environmental regulations here in Guatemala, so not only residential and business waste goes into the dump but also hospital waste, dead animals from the zoo, toxic waste, dead bodies have also been dumped here but much less now than during the civil war.
So why am I telling you about the dump?
Because this is the population we serve. "Guajeros" is the name given to the people that rummage through the trash looking for recyclable materials that they can sell for a profit. They collect aluminum, glass, plastic, cardboard, burn mattresses for the metal springs, salvage clothes and furniture they can resell, etc.
They work in absolutely atrocious conditions.
They are continually exposed to not only the germs found in rotting trash but also worms, rats, and vultures. The biggest health complaint that we hear of is respiratory problems because the the workers constantly breathing in methane gas, sulfur, and dust... read on about her journey here
... please send this and my upcoming e-mails to all and everyone you know,