From Facebook:
The
photo is of a new family group to the dump. They arrived (Feb. 2018)
about 1 month before I left. The family was made up of 8 or 9 members
who slept in the little shack pictured, directly on top of the garbage.
The group included multiple young children including the 4 young ones
you can see in the photo.
I am editing a bunch of pictures with my new iMac at work, hope to print some of these pictures larger (13x19 or 17x?) next week. I might be able to get some of the color photos into the gallery in Penticton for the coming exhibition. I will at least get them into the artist talk PowerPoint presentation. I need to tell the story of this family to the gallery visitors.
I am editing a bunch of pictures with my new iMac at work, hope to print some of these pictures larger (13x19 or 17x?) next week. I might be able to get some of the color photos into the gallery in Penticton for the coming exhibition. I will at least get them into the artist talk PowerPoint presentation. I need to tell the story of this family to the gallery visitors.
The good part in all of this is that because of you all I was able to
help this family more than most. Gave 2 members of the family each a 300
baht money donation (thanks S) and was able to give multiple, headlamps
boots, rice, medicine, toys, etc. because of the bigger donations by
you all, done earlier. The life of this family became a tiny bit better
for at least a short time. We got to do what we can do. Everything done,
even the small stuff, is a good thing.
I wonder what has happened to them in the 5 months since I left them for my easy life in Canada? Hopefully they have moved off the garbage to a cleaner environment in the surrounding area and now live in a better house.
But how many families have replaced them? How many families have no help at all?
Note* You can see the families work from the day-night in the photographs foreground, plastic bottles from the garbage dump.
Update (reply to a Facebook friend):
I wonder what has happened to them in the 5 months since I left them for my easy life in Canada? Hopefully they have moved off the garbage to a cleaner environment in the surrounding area and now live in a better house.
But how many families have replaced them? How many families have no help at all?
Note* You can see the families work from the day-night in the photographs foreground, plastic bottles from the garbage dump.
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| New dump family with their days work |
Gerry Yaum Thanks
so much for your thoughts Mag. This family was amazing. I remember soon
after they arrived the young children were learning how to work the
garbage. The youngest family daughter and the youngest family son went
out together. I went out and photographed
them as they worked. The young boy was pointing out the good garbage to
his slightly older sister. She had a quiet dignity to her as she
worked. My biggest concern when I was there age was what kind of toys I
was going to get for Christmas. Here is a photo of them working
together...
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| Brother helping his sister work the garbage |
