In Pictures
Building a new life from the mud in Myanmar
Many families displaced by cyclone Nargis in 2008 are now working in brick factories for $1 per day.
Yangon, Myanmar – Following the destruction unleashed by cyclone Nargis in 2008, many families are still struggling to rebuild. Hundreds of families are migrating from affected parts of the country to settle down in a village on the outskirts of Yangon where they are working producing bricks for about $1 per day.
It takes around 20 days to create bricks starting from digging the grounds, filtering sands and dehydrating the mud bricks under the sun for a week.
Most families working in the industry don’t have proper health care and many children cannot go to school, as they usually have to work.
Although Myanmar’s economy is growing by about 7 percent annually driven by natural resource exports, many average people are still struggling with poverty. The economic boom is fuelling demand for bricks and, according to critics, leading more children to work in the industry.
