There are about 400 individuals living at the rubbish-dump collecting
plastics. They sell the plastics to the recycling companies in the area and
earn about 25-70 bath per day and per family. Their health situation is bad
since they are living close to the garbage where there are a lot of harmful
fumes, glass and other sharp objects. Many of the children in the community are
malnourished and their eyes are read and infected from the garbage fumes. There
is a migrant school in the area, Sky Blue, which is supported by BMWEC and
Children on the Edge. Many of the children attend the school but still there
are some that has to stay with their family and collect plastics for their
survival. The school health team (Mae Tao clinic) provides the children with
basic medical help. They visit the school every sixth month and give the
children de-worm treatment and vaccinations. But the children have no
continually medical care. The community, consisting of many women with small
children, gets no medical help. They are welcome to the Mae Tao clinic but are
afraid of getting arrested since they have no legal status in Thailand.
The work at the dump is dangerous and they have no means to protect
themselves. Since they have no employment they have no legal protection if
something would happen.
After a few visits to the Rubbish-dump community close
to Mae Sot YCOWA and a few private persons decided to start up a project to
help the people living and working at the rubbish-dump.
YCOWA has been running the mobile
medical team, consisting of two medics, at the garbage dump site since October
2009 with the support of the Association Minorites et Development, Geneva,
Switzerland. The medical team worked two days a week during October and
November 2009.
On October 2011, our chief medic
resigned from the mobile medical team because of his personal matter. As the
result, we have to halt our mobile medical team for one month (in October)
2011. However, we could hire one Doctor and reopen the mobile clinic on
November, 2011. At the moment, the medical team worked two days a week
(Wednesday, Saturday) by one doctor and one assistant.
