Stories about children’s days
Chandra, 13 year old girl
About Chandra’s life
Chandra works from 8am until 5pm in a factory making trousers and dresses. She works there every day of the week in the run up to Eid, which is peak season.
Chandra lives in a building or ‘house’ comprising many small units or ‘rooms’ occupied by many families. Chandra’s building is crowded, and dirty. It smells bad and is dark and narrow. 13 families live in this building. They share one small and dirty bathroom, an area for washing pots and laundry, and a kitchen with clay ovens.
Chandra and her parents and two sisters share one small room in this building. The room contains a large bed, an unused stove, a TV connected to Wi-Fi and some shelves. Clothes are hung on the walls.
Chandra and her family have lived in the room for 6 years. They migrated to Dhaka for work. Last year Chandra’s mother was hit by a truck and broke her leg. Since then, she has not been able to work.
Chandra’s mother was hit by a truck and now cannot work
It is unsafe to do overtime at night if there are no known persons around. Since there are less people at work at that hour, and especially fewer females. If there are other girls there, it makes me more comfortable.
An angry supervisor sending Chandra home
On March 16, 2023, a CLARISSA researcher accompanied Chandra as she went from her home to her work.
This day was typical for her, apart from the fact that she was dismissed from work in the morning due to a conflict with her employer around the CLARISSA researcher being present. After some discussion Chandra was able to return to work, but she still had a difficult time with her employer and her friends for the rest of the day.
Chandra’s father cannot earn enough as a rickshaw driver to support the family, in fact almost all his earnings go on servicing debt, so Chandra is now working. Chandra is not the oldest child living at home, but her older sister has health problems and often cannot work. Two other siblings are older and have left home.
Chandra in her workplace
Normally, Chandra does not go anywhere apart from work, other than to run errands for her mother. She is not allowed to go out with her friends. If she goes grocery shopping for her mother, her sister goes with her. Chandra plays at her house, however. She gets a lot of happiness from being with her friends, especially her best friend, who makes her laugh a lot.
Chandra on the staircase in her building
Chandra’s day
Chandra’s home
Chandra’s experience
I feel happy that you (CLARISSA researcher) are here. I have been waiting for you. At home, I feel safe. My parents and friends are with me, and someone is constantly looking out for me. Whilst my house is secure; the surrounding neighbourhood is not. The people here are intrusive and will make anything an issue. A few days ago, my friend was making a TikTok video with a boy and a shopkeeper noticed and told me. Here nobody supports anyone. They don’t like seeing people happy.
Researcher’s experience
When I arrive Chandra ’s little sister is still asleep. Chandra’s father is telling Chandra and her sister to get ready for work. Chandra seems a little shy and doesn’t talk to me much.
Chandra walking to work
Chandra’s experience
It takes about 10 minutes to get to work, so not long. Plus, I walk fast. On the way home it takes me five minutes longer as I take a different route at that time to skip bad boys.
Whenever I do overtime, I take the longer route, since the road I use in the morning seems unsafe when it gets dark. I sometimes travel in a group, but when my friends do overtime and I don’t, I take the long route home by myself. I feel scared going home alone at night.
Researcher’s experience
At 7.45am Chandra leaves for work. She says that as she is young, she doesn’t get hassled by boys but she sees other girls getting hassled. There is a corner that she avoids as the boys there are particularly bad and follow girls down the street to scare them.
Chandra’s experience
In my factory I cut thread, cut out pockets and fuse trousers. I also cut trousers and parts of dresses with scissors, which is the hardest. A few days ago, I cut my finger, it was bleeding. If you could see what I do, you would understand. I also make belt loops, stitch pockets, connect zips, and do anything else that is needed of me. It is different each day. If I make a mistake I get told off.
My co-workers are kind to me. I like my workplace. I can be with my friends; I have got some good friends there.
Researcher’s experience
Chandra has been working at the factory for four months. She cuts thread and does other small tasks. She starts working at 8 a.m. and works until 5 p.m. every day. Currently it is the run-up to Eid and as such she is working every day and is not even getting Fridays off.
A communal bathroom
Chandra’s experience
It’s 9.30 and I am back home. They (employers) told me to leave and said if they needed me, they would call. I know they will not. They said how daring I was to bring the CLARISSA researcher with me to the factory.
Researcher’s experience
On the day she was accompanied by a CLARISSA researcher the researcher was not granted permission by Chandra’s supervisor to enter the factory, despite this already having been arranged and agreed in the previous few days. After some struggle to negotiate I left Chandra, planning to meet up with her at lunch time, but later received a phone call from her father saying that Chandra had been dismissed from work and was at home.
Chandra was at home, with her family and several neighbours, and she seemed to be in shock. Around the same time her older sister arrived home from work, as she was feeling unwell. Chandra ’s mother was stressed, lamenting the fact that with neither of them working they would not have any money.
Chandra’s experience
I go back to work at 10.30am. No one says anything when I go back, it was just a misunderstanding. It feels good to be at work again. It’s a relief.
I don’t feel tired. I can work standing or sitting.
Researcher’s experience
A senior CLARISSA team member called and negotiated with Chandra ’s employer so that she could return to work. Chandra once more set out for the factory. She said that she was glad she could go to work again, but I felt like she was mad at me.
Girls playing on a mobile phone
Chandra’s experience
I love to play games on my phone. I play every day after lunch – as well as before going to work and after coming home from work at night.
Researcher’s experience
Chandra walks home from work with two friends and co-workers. She is pleased that she was able to return to work. She does not feel hungry and eats very little for lunch. She walks back to work with the same friends but is upset as they are walking in front, ignoring her. I get the sense that they are not talking to her because of what had happened earlier at the factory. She distances herself from me on the return journey.
Researcher’s experience
Chandra is at work until 5pm. On the way home, walking with her friends, I had to walk fast to keep pace with them. She said, “I like it at work because I can hang out with my friends”. She told me that her boss had misunderstood earlier and had thought I was there to write a report on him and the factory. She seemed more at ease with me than she had before.
At home time her friend comes and picks her up. She is holding Chandra’s hand while they are working, and they seem to be friendly again after today’s incident. Chandra now looks so happy.
Chandra and a friend playing on a phone
Chandra’s experience
When I come home I always find my friends already here. I love to come home in the evening and spend time with them.
I play games on the phone, I play ludo, I gossip, I watch TikTok, I have fun, and play with my friends. I play outside, in front of a shop close to my house or I play inside my house. My best friend makes me laugh and I love to share everything with her. As long as she will be here you will see me happy.
I used to play on Fridays, but because I don’t get a day off anymore and I’m working all the time, it’s very difficult to find time to play.
Researcher’s experience
From 17.30, Chandra spends two hours playing games on her phone with me and with various friends. They are laughing and taking pictures of each other and making TikTok videos. There is a lively atmosphere, and her parents also prepare snacks for a few neighbours.
Explore Chandra’s journey
Rama, 17, supports her family by working as a beautician in the daytime and as a dancer in a dance bar at night.
Supriya, 16, works in a party palace (party venue) from 5pm until midnight.
Pema, 15, works in events catering in the afternoons and evenings, after going to college in the morning.
Khem, 17, has worked for a relative in a khaja ghar (small eatery) since he was ten years old.