Rag pickers of Bihar learn ways to escape poverty

“All my life I have been a rag picker. I would pick plastics, metal and other waste stuff from garbage dumps. I had to even beg for a living. I hate it.” – Kalpana Devi, a rag picker

Every day, millions of poor Indians try desperately to make a little bit of money with whatever means they have. Many of them are simply left to their own devices, but the government of the Bihar has developed a new scheme which offers them fresh opportunities to climb out of the downward spiral of poverty.

Among the many low-pay jobs poor Indians take up to make some money, rag picking is one of the least rewarding and most dangerous. According to a study published in 2008, approximately 2.5 million rag pickers roam garbage dumps everyday to find pieces of junk that may still be of little value. It is very likely their numbers have increased since the study was conducted.

Earning less than a dollar a day
In Bihar’s Purnia district, hundreds of ragpickers scavenge the dump sites every day. Most of them are children, carrying sacks with their findings: plastic bags, pieces of metal or glass, bottles and other recyclable goods. Sometimes they also look for food that’s been thrown away by the more affluent citizens of the city.

Most of them don’t carry any equipment that protects them from the hazardous surroundings, like facemasks or special clothing. This makes rag picking particularly dangerous. According to the 2008 study, most rag pickers don’t earn more than the equivalent to one US dollar a day.

Towards a better life
Most local authorities have nothing to offer to change the plight of the rag pickers, but the Bihar government is an exception. According to UNI TV in India, It is now offering educational programs for the rag pickers to give them a chance of chalking up a better life for themselves.

Ghanshyam Desari is one of the teachers who works for the scheme.

“We are teaching these people simple things like making candles, incense sticks and bhojpatra, a substitute for paper plates made of leaves. We want to empower them with such skills. We offer these trainings for free.”

The rag pickers who follow these courses can move on to sell the products they make, enabling them to give up the dirty and dangerous work at the dump sites.

Kalpana Devi, in her mid-forties, is one of them.

“All my life I have been a rag picker. I would pick plastics, metal and other waste stuff from it. I had to even beg for a living. I hate it.”

Now she is one of the people who have been offered the chance to change their lives. Kalpana, along with fifteen other women, is taking part in a three day workshop, led by Ghanshyam Desari. On her first day, she will be trained in the basics of candle making.

“Learning to make candles is definitely a great opportunity to give up rag picking”, she says with a smile.