One third of the country's total trash ends up here.
There is no recycling program in place in Guatemala.
People who work, yes, work at the dump recycling trash to sell thus reducing Guatemala's waste by 1,000,000 pounds a day.
They breathe in toxic fumes and also sift through bio-hazardous waste while looking for items such as: glass, aluminum, furniture, electrical items, and other hot commodities that they can sell to survive.
Until 2005 when a cloud of methane gas that hovers over the dump ignited and caused a huge fire, families that lived and worked in the dump were not allowed to anymore. A huge wall was built around the area and armed guards were put in place. Families were forced to move outside the wall and build basic huts to live in.
Do not be fooled by the lovely blue sky there is a stench that permeates all around the area.
In the midst of all this heartache and sadness stands Safe Passage (Camino Seguro) - an amazing organisation doing amazing work in helping to change the lives of children, (born into the cycle of dire poverty) with educational opportunities and programs to empower women. I will write about this in a separate post.
A short documentary on the dump called "RECYCLED LIVES" can be viewed on YOU TUBE
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