By Faridat Salifu
Recently, l visited the dumpsites at the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, from carry out an assignment. Surprisingly, l saw young children, some as young as seven years old, deeply engrossed in the task of waste picking.
Amidst the piles of refuse, there are young children who ought to be in classrooms searching through the waste, to get what they can sell to recyclers. They were driven by the necessity to earn money for their families in the face of economic hardship across the country.
I had brief discussion with two among these young waste pickers. My discussion with them based on whereabouts of their parents revealed their motivations for engaging in such laborious work.
One child expressed that the more waste he could sort and remove, the more money his family could save for necessities, highlighting the economic struggles faced by many households.
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Despite the challenges of working in harsh conditions under the scorching sun and the absence of nearby water sources, these children persist in their efforts to contribute to their families’ survival.
However, their vulnerability is evident as they navigate the dumpsites alone. With limited access to water and the constant risk of exposure to strangers, these young waste pickers face threats to their safety and well-being.
Despite the dangers, they remain vigilant, heeding warnings from their families about the dangers of interacting with strangers and the possibility of abduction.
The presence of young children labouring at the dumpsites underscores the urgent need for intervention to ensure their protection and access to education. Their plight highlights the broader issue of child labour in waste management and calls for concerted efforts to address the root causes of this phenomenon.
Hopefully, the authorities at the Federal, State and at the family level, will look into this anomaly. Young children ought to be in school learning to be responsible leaders tomorrow and not an illiterate scavenger when they become adult.
What l saw at the ldu landfill site at Abuja calls for action from different quarters including the Non- Governmental Organisations (NGO), the rich in the larger society and at then family circle. People should rise and safeguard the rights of vulnerable children in waste management activities.
