Society's Attitude
Towards Street Children and Ragpickers


Ragpickers searching through rubbish in a park.
Society, as a whole, regards these children as antisocial elements, an embarrassment to the community, and unfit to live. However their useful contribution to society and ecology is little understood and generally ignored. The waste collected by these children is recycled and produces 25% of the writing paper, the packing materials, egg trays, economical plastic and metal household items, etc., used in our homes. This benefits society and world ecology enormously by the production of cheaper household goods, and the slowing down of the destruction of the already threatened rain forests. It also helps to prevent the mountains of putrefying waste materials from building up in city centers. The ragpicker's valuable contribution to society should not be ignored and taken for granted.