Those known as the "scavengers" in Guatemala City live and work in and near the city dump. Working in the harsh sun and sometimes pouring rain, they scour the garbage looking for anything that might have some value—bits of plastic, glass, metal, and even cardboard. Amid sharp objects, the work is dangerous, unsanitary and arduous. And while their work-day is often seven to 14 hours long, they typically only earn a few pennies a day for the scrap they find.

Community Life

Like many inner-cities in the United States, pockets of gangs have formed in the dump, and many of them fight for territory. Along with the gang members, innocent by-standers are often killed in these disputes for a piece of the dump.

Over half of the men and women are addicted to drugs or alcohol. Children roam the streets playing marbles or soccer, even after dark, while surrounded by glue-sniffing addicts and alcoholics.

The dump is home to more than just the impoverished. Rats, snakes, roaches and lice flourish, and dogs and vultures also scavenge for bits of food.

Infection is common in the dump, and it is often fatal. Infections may be a result of cuts or other injuries or gases produced by decomposing rubbish. Rashes and respiratory conditions also abound. Malnutrition is a common problem amongst the more than 6000 children who live in the dump.

Family Life

There is actually little to the family life of those who live in and near the dump in Guatemala City. Most young couples never marry. Some cite the expense of a legal ceremony as the reason, and many of the young men fear additional responsibility and loss of freedom. These relationships seldom last, and often result in the man abandoning the woman and any children. It is not uncommon for women to have multiple children with different fathers.

Physical and sexual abuse also run rampant in these communities. Unfortunately, the Guatemalan judicial system does little to protect these abused women and children.

Most of the children in the dump have no opportunity for education and no stable family life to provide security and safety as they grow. This traps them in the cycle of poverty, leaving them doomed to repeat the mistakes of their parents, and offering no hope for a brighter future.

Offering Hope

This is more than mere poverty. This is misery and injustice.

The reality for many of these people is that the garbage has penetrated to the very roots of their soul. They have grown to believe that they are garbage—that their lives are worthless and invaluable. They are passed over, ignored, neglected, and mistreated.

But Potter's House Association and its partners are working together to change this. These "scavengers" are more than mere statistics—they are real and beautiful treasures who were created by God in His own image.