UNICEF – GMB AKASH

Angel in Hell – Part II

“Welcome you again in another season of Hell. Down in these dumps the name called childhood get matured for a few at the age of five. Their silent cry echoes from wall to wall of every hell which is considered as blessed place for them to earn bread. Their compact workstation, fiery factories or even the dusty brick lands are the place where they brought up independently” – GMB AKASH

Telling about the working environment of these children is a heart breaking job. Factory machines usually produce an intolerable degree of echo in the working place of these children. For adding more strain on them excessive heat works as miserable factor. Textile factory workers start their day at 8am and finishes at 8pm. During these working hours they managed to heal the pain of sound and heat by earning 1200 tk per month($1=83tk). In the brick field scenarios are not different. In brick fields every day work starts at 6 am, carring head-loads of eight bricks from the furnace to the supply pile. Each trip back and forth is allotted a little over a minute. For a twelve-hour workday for each 1,000 bricks child at a brick factory in carry, they earn 80 tk (<$1) after meeting expenses. Other hand, on the construction sites, children must sweat and slog through the intense heat of the sun, working long hours for scant reward. Moreover same obscurity and hardship in balloon factory, rickshaw factory, tannery, dump yards, motor parts factory, mirror making factory, coal and cigarettes factory. There is no such a single risky job where a child labour cannot be found. For many of them Jeans paint with a torn shirt is their everyday wear. And banana with bread is delicious meal.

They are sincerely doing their job because of their family either to support them or for their helplessness. I admit human power is the incredible above all. Their spirit overcomes all difficulties to feed them and their family by any hardship.

Factory owners straightly said, ‘If we do not employ these children they will be one of the street-addict children. Can you give them three times food, education and a home? Few of these children are helping their mother to survive. Few of them are helping educating of their younger. We are assisting them at least to survive in life with this working training.’ This is the most common answer I received from the majority of factory owner who assigned children to their factory.

Children can be a source of income, this insane thought still practicing among many part of the lower class group which leads them to give birth more children. Many families are dependent fully on the income of their 5-12 age children. But for many the stories are different.

I come to know these heart touching stories which are worthy to share. Many children are running their sisters education on their own income, many children efficiently managing three times food for their sick parents and many children still manages to spend one hour to study in night school. Many children touched me by saying they dream to have a factory with their savings! Even with this limited income! They are soulful and they have dignity which we should not let die. So I realize family is the root by which there must be a way to improve at least few of these children’s life. Helplessness of a family forces their children to work in a hazardous condition.

“Escaping from a situation where 7.4 million children are standing to you for a solution is pretty shivering. I believe it’s a sin for me as a human and as a photographer to turn my head and look away. I attach my life with them and thus the story starts” – GMB AKASH

To be continue…

Angel in Hell – Part I

“If my images bring to life the haunting realities that millions of children face each day then this is fulfillment of my work. And if mine is the hand that blocks the scorching sun from their eyes – bringing shade for just a single minute, then there’s value in the work I do. I am talking about 7.4 million children who are risking their life each second to rescue themselves from hunger and poverty, a tale of those for whom we rarely care about. I keep asking:

Who is there to bring them in the light from their working- living-hell? Who will save these innocent hearts which will decline with time! Is there any one? ”

– GMB Akash

I have traveled extensively in all developing countries including mine to document the use of child labor in factories. Years after years I have to wait to get entries to some of those hells which are only built to burn childhood in secret zone. I waited hours and hours beside the factory gates to get seldom permission to meet up those fateless kids. They never allow anyone to keep any documents or proof bearing things, but I did it by convincing factory owner. All time the heartless scenario, danger to get caught, inner emptiness frozen my finger to click. But when those children give a look with all the sorrow in expression God give me instant power to overcome anything of the world. & then my clicks never took a break.

The factories as too dangerous for children. They are “gloomy, unhygienic, smoky” and are fading away the children’s lives. I talk to the children in the factories and they tell me their stories, adventures and sacrifices. Their innocent smile can break your heart into enormous pieces if you stand in front of where they work/ live. My photos show the terrible environment they work in. Wherever I go I find great insecurity of lives. No protection, no appreciation, no opportunity. Their treatment varies child to child. There is no specific rule of behavior towards worker nether any of the factory maintain any core of conduct. Generally teenagers get bit generous treatment compare to children. But here experience never adds up any extra benefit for them. All are struggling in their own way.

* According to UNICEF, more than 7.4 million children are engaged in economic activity in Bangladesh. Many of them work in very poor conditions; some even risk their lives. Factory owners pay them about 400 to 700 taka (6 to 10 US dollars) a month, while an adult worker earns up to 5,000 taka per month.

My intention is not just to depict the children as victims of exploitation. I want to show the complexity of the situation: the parents who send their little boy to work in a factory because they are poor; the child who has to work to earn a living for the family; the boss of the factory who engage children also helping them otherwise, as if these children stay in the road they might take drugs or might become thief. I think it is impossible to abolish child labour completely in Bangladesh in the short term, but I do think it is possible to improve working conditions and to bring more children from factories into schools. I have been profoundly affected both emotionally and psychologically after seeing the repulsive evils of child labor. I feel guilty when I eat good food, and I feel haunted by the children in my photographs. I hope to achieve justice through documenting these conditions and making people aware of what is going on in these factories.

It’s positive when after seeing these photos people take a step, even realizing their situation can help. I believe many of us definitely indebted to them who are working for us in such condition. One day one by one we will all gather against such crime. Children will go to schools instead of factories. Yes, I am taking & I will until voices raise & hands come out.

“Can you exchange a day with your own child in the place of these children? Can you deposit your children’s labor in such a place for a day in return of $1. If you can’t, can you please do something for these children? “Wishing to help” is an excuse. Shame is a mild word to what we are overlooking. May our spirit wake up.”

– GMB Akash

Born to work – A Battle of a “Survivor”

“Survivors” depicts the invincibility of the human spirit to survive against all odds. People who live on the edges of society have had a big impact on me and have been a great inspiration to me as a person and in my career. The existing social hierarchies have made me realize that those who live at the lowest rank on the economic ladder are the true survivors. These people are deprived of even the basic necessities of life, yet they manage to live each day with a smile on their faces. As a photographer I feel it is my task to show the world those unseen realities and to shed light on what most of us never see with our own eyes.

I have been doing my project “Survivors” for the last 10 years. In these years I tried to bring changes in some lives. But now, I moves to work on it highly by bringing the project “Survivors” in light. & lend hands to some miserable souls. Munna is one of them. Here I am revealing life & straggle of Munna – which many of you may never seen but heard many times, which many of you may imagine but never feel. Welcome to the world of a – little soldier ‘Munna’

“Born to work – A Battle of a Survivor”, First video made by me & a documentation on ‘Munna’ from the project ‘Survivors’.

‘Integrity with innocence’ this is the concrete of Munna’s character portrayal. Five years ago I first met Munna, he was same like now. He was a seven years old shy boy who never complains to anyone. At the age of five he comes to the factory. Two years he did nothing & got no money. At the age of seven, he learns & starts working. When I took his first picture his hands remarks his experiences.

Five years have passed fates of Munna & his father brings no change in their lives. Only difference is, with his five years experience Munna is getting 1600 taka ($1=72taka) per month. Moreover 12 years old Munna is running his younger sister education with his extra income of Friday overtime. His dreams confine to get more experience of hard work & made a big factory. He dreams to give good food to his family, he dreams to take them in a better place. The boy speak too less, stand always like a shadow. Whenever I took picture of him, he tried to clean his torn cloths as well hide torn areas. These little doings, little words earn respect.

20 years ago Munna’s family had come to Dhaka for better living. Time never brings any happiness in their lives. By a little donation Munna’s father bought shoe sewing materials & now he is working as cobbler. They pray that rainy season may never come. As people does not come to do shoe polish in rain time. Munna & his family are surviving in the race of life.

Like Munna around 7 million children are straggling in our country. May be it is difficult but not impossible to give hope to these 7 million children. If only every capable person lend their hands for one family.

My project “Survivors” aims to help Munna & his family. This project designed to help ten families from ten backgrounds. By little collection – a fund will hand over to Munna & his father. Munna’s father will utilize it for lifting their fates. 25% of the selling price of my book “Survivors” will give to these kinds of 10 selected families. You all are invited to stand beside Munna. Won’t you lend your hands? If your heart is moved to do so please visit “Survivors” by Gmb Akash at : http://emphas.is

“Our little help, little words, little recommendations could bring light in some dark places of this earth. ” Gmb Akash

“Untold Stories” Part II

Habitually I take my camera, leave my place and lost for long time. These unpredictable journeys never tire me. In searching of stories I traveled miles after miles, I reached many unexpected places by unplanned ways.

Location was India, a mountain near a coal mine. I was not even thinking another terrible accident was waiting for me.

Jharkand, India. One of the largest coal mines in Asia.

My main focus was low-income people; I find out these poor people who were going back to the coal mine early in the morning. They went for stealing coal & later sell in local market. Next morning I followed them quietly. I experienced they carried these heavy basket full of coals 3 to 4 kilometers from mountain. They were bare foot most were children/female from poorest families.