In search of opportunities and escaping the economic crisis in their country, indigenous mayan families from Guatemala’s border region arrived around 20 years ago at the municipal rubbish dump of Mexico’s southern city Tapachula (State Chiapas) to start collecting and selling waste. The number of inhabitants of the area surrounding the dump has since increased to around 100 families living today in the settlement Linda Vista (Beautiful View), striving for dignity under difficult living conditions. Collecting and selling PET plastic, metal, glass and paper to local waste buyers provides the workers with an income of 35 to 100 Mexican Pesos (2 to 6.30 US Dollars) per day. Women, men and especially the children of Linda Vista live under precarious conditions, being exposed to pollution and living without water supply in improvised homes built with recycled materials. With community efforts, the inhabitants have built a catholic church and a small school; nevertheless, only a small number of the estimated more than 200 children living in Linda Vista visit the school. Activists criticise the role of Chiapas’ state government which has failed to establish a regular municipal school, provide medical services and water supply to the community of Linda Vista and accuse the dump administration of systematic exploitation of the women and men working in the rubbish dump.
