Health Perceptions of Child Waste Pickers In El Salvador Tania
Gavidia Slide 2 What is a Waste Picker? Those who collect, classify
and sell recyclable materials from mixed waste Furedy, C. 1990.
Social Aspects of Waste Recovery in Asian Cities. Environmental
Sanitation Reviews series Vol: 30: 2- 52 Slide 3 General
Characteristics Poor Low education No skill to be employed in other
sectors Women and children Often settle around the Open Waste Site
(OWS) Eerd, M. V. 1997. The Occupational Health Aspects of Waste
Collection and Recycling: An inventory study in India. UWEP Working
Documents, UWEP Working Document 4, Part II.
http://www.waste.nl/page/157/offset/30 (accessed 20 August
2007)http://www.waste.nl/page/157/offset/30 Slide 4 Child Waste
Picking Reasons for working as a child waste picker: Poverty Unable
to enrol in school Help parents to support the family Flores, D.,
and M. Sagot. 2006. Guidelines to promote decent work for young
ex-child labourers in marginalised urban zones. Report for
(ILO/IPEC) One of the worst forms of child labour Children working
alongside their families Work for little or no pay Most likely to
be poor and come from families with low education Slide 5 Field
Work Central America Slide 6 Province of San Miguel, El Salvador
Slide 7 Agua Salada Las Casitas Las Penitas Slide 8 The Plan
Selection criteria: Parent/Guardian must have worked at the site
> 2 months Parent/Guardian must have worked at the site > 2
months Parent/Guardian must have waste picker child Parent/Guardian
must have waste picker child Child must be under the age of 18 (ILO
and El Salvadors Codigo de Trabajo) Child must be under the age of
18 (ILO and El Salvadors Codigo de Trabajo) Questionnaire
Semi-structured interview Dec 2007-February 2008 Study: ~30-40
minutes 5 wks (2 wks) 25 children (18) 25 parents (14)
Observational Study 2 days Slide 9 Objectives 1. 1. To assess the
childs level of awareness of health risks 2. 2. To determine the
childs attitudes towards waste picking 3. 3. To determine if waste
picking affects the childs perception about him/herself 4. 4. To
determine dependency/reliance on the Uluazapa Open Waste Site (OWS)
for survival Slide 10 Qualitative Data Observational Study Initial
ethics approval for observational study only Initial ethics
approval for observational study only 40-50 Waste picker families
40-50 Waste picker families Adults: 6-7hrs/day (mostly women)
Adults: 6-7hrs/day (mostly women) Men have alternative jobs Men
have alternative jobs Most children work after school, but they
also work before school or both (4-5hrs/day) Most children work
after school, but they also work before school or both (4-5hrs/day)
Mostly male children Mostly male children Slide 11 Waste pickers in
action Pictures Slide 12 Child working amongst smoke from burning
rubbish Slide 13 Resting Place Slide 14 Consent Ethics approval in
Feb 2008 to carry out interviews with children and parents Ethics
approval in Feb 2008 to carry out interviews with children and
parents Consent obtained from parents consent Consent obtained from
parents consent Participation was voluntary Participation was
voluntary Right to withdraw anytime Right to withdraw anytime Slide
15 Results Demographics PARENTS N = 14 N = 14 Age: 38 Age: 38
Education: 1 st Grade Education: 1 st Grade 5/14 = single parent
households 5/14 = single parent households 7/14 = worked >12y
7/14 = worked >12y 14/18 = women 14/18 = womenCHILDREN N = 18 N
= 18 Age: 11 Age: 11 M:F : 11:7 M:F : 11:7 Worked ~ 4hrs/day Worked
~ 4hrs/day 6/18 missed school 6/18 missed school Slide 16
Qualitative Data: semi-structured interview Reason for taking
children to work at the OWS: Economic hardship Economic hardship
Male Male Eldest sibling Eldest sibling Parents knew working at OWS
exposed children to health hazards Although most adults had
alternative job options, waste picking provided flexibility and a
good income Slide 17 Health Effects Reported by Children Health
Effects Reported Incidence Headaches5 Back Aches4 Cuts3 Fall2
Vomit3 Diarrhoea2 Respiratory health effects18 Syringes6
Dry/sore/Itchy eyes1 Slide 18 Qualitative Data: semi-structured
interview 12/18 of children thought waste picking was hazardous to
their health 12/18 of children thought waste picking was hazardous
to their health 11/18 children said they liked working at the OWS
11/18 children said they liked working at the OWS 5/18 reported
discrimination 5/18 reported discrimination 11/18 children had a
negative self perception 11/18 children had a negative self
perception Slide 19 People to Thank Ministerio de Trabajo
Ministerio de Trabajo International Labour Organisation - El
Salvador National Office International Labour Organisation - El
Salvador National Office PADECOMSM (Lic. Mario, Lic. Nelson Nolasco
y Lic. Mariza Luna) PADECOMSM (Lic. Mario, Lic. Nelson Nolasco y
Lic. Mariza Luna) Dr BK Tan (Curtin) Dr BK Tan (Curtin) Thank
You
