Stories about children’s days
Rina, 14 year old girl
About Rina’s life
Rina lives in a single room with her family in a five storied building in Balurmath in Dhaka. Rina lives with her two sisters, her mother and her father. The family feels that the rent is too high but that it is a relatively peaceful place to live. Rina and her family have lived in Dhaka for six years. Their extended family live in their home village, which is three hours away by bus.
Working late into the night
It’s very hot in the factory. There is a lot of pressure, forget water, we are not even given time to go to the bathroom.
Rina’s father collects her from work by rickshaw
Rina’s work situation prevents her from visiting her home village very often. It is difficult for her to get permission for leave, even in the case of the death of a relative.
When she asked for leave because of her grandmother’s imminent death her employers did not agree to grant her request.
Rina’s father is a rickshaw driver. Sometimes he takes Rina to the factory. If her father takes her the journey only takes a few minutes. He generally takes Rina to and from work when she has to do overtime.
The rest of the time she walks to work from home and back again, navigating dangerous roads while feeling hungry and stressed about being late. She points out where accidents have happened and expresses worry about crossing certain roads.
“They make us work so hard but act very reluctant when it comes to paying our salary.”
A factory supervisor hitting workers with garments
Rina in her workplace
Rina is a helper in a factory that makes trousers. She is involved in many different processes and operates various different machines despite her young age – it is very hard, noisy, work and her hands hurt throughout the day
She works at a high intensity and is apprehended for any kind of break from work, such as chatting. She only has one day off a week (Friday). She is not paid on time and is owed money by her employer.
She often works overtime, sometimes until 3am.
Rina rarely goes anywhere except to her workplace, to occasionally buy household provisions and to visit her older sister’s house. Moving around is not considered particularly safe. She identifies certain lanes and recreation spaces in her neighbourhood as dangerous in relation to sexual harassment.
The interior of Rina’s home
When I go home, I feel very upset. I did not go anywhere on this day. I was at the factory and home only.
Rina’s day
Rina’s experience
I wake up in the morning and set off for work at 7:45am. Before that, I meet my friend, who is brushing her teeth in front of our house. My friend works at a shoe factory. There is a narrow lane to go to her place. This morning she knew that I would come to see her.
I walk to work. If you are late, you get scolded and then you have to go in early.
Researcher’s experience
The child often goes to work without eating in the morning.
The exterior of the factory
Rina’s experience
I do lots of different types of work. The factory is very small, and I have to do various different processes, including pocket attaching, labelling and operating machines.
It is very hard work and big people find it difficult to operate some of these machines. I am working on 80 pieces this morning and it is very noisy work. I also cut and seal (by burning) 400 pieces of elastic this morning and I attach about 100 pieces of ribbon. My hands hurt a lot doing this. They shout at me to work fast.
They always tell me to work on and on, I have to work so much I don’t have time to go to the bathroom.
Researcher’s experience
Rina has a lot of work to do. Some tasks, like attaching elastic, are difficult to do.
It is very hot in the factory. The machines are noisy, and she works under a lot of pressure from her supervisors. There is a constant risk of getting fired for not keeping up with the production rates expected.
Rina operates various different machines despite her young age – in fact she says that big people (adults) find it difficult to operate one particular machine, indicating that smaller people (girls) are preferred to carry out this work.
Her tasks in a day include attaching 100 pieces of ribbon, cutting and combining the rubber ribbon and using the flames to make 400 pieces of elastic. It is very hard work and her hands hurt throughout the day.
I had no idea a factory helper does so much work. From 8am until lunch Rina puts rubber into 70 pairs of trousers, ties knots in 150 pairs of trousers, marks 200 pairs of trousers, works on machines with eighty pairs of trousers, folds 250 pairs of trousers and cuts elastic for around 400 pairs of trousers.
Her hands are hurting a lot, and it is obvious how bad it makes her feel when she is nagged to work. The supervisors rush her through her work very loudly.
It is striking how much Rina is pressured to get her work done as quickly as possible. Her employers also seem to try to avoid paying their employees’ salaries on time. Before Eid the factory did not provide any sort of bonus, despite the workers fighting for this. The factory owes Rina 3,000 BDT (US $28).
Outside the factory where Rina works
Rina’s experience
I didn’t eat anything in the morning, and I feel very hungry. I go home to eat and after that I feel more peaceful.
Once you have eaten you have to get back to work on time. It is difficult to walk to work. I don’t feel good in the heat.
Researcher’s experience
Rina finishes her lunch in a hurry. On her walk back to work it is very hot and sunny. Her supervisors are strict about her working hours so she wants to avoid being late back.
A road in Rina’s neighbourhood
Rina’s experience
The (major) road I must walk home on is not good. The people living near this road die in accidents. An old woman died there due to a bike accident recently. I get scared crossing this road.
At 10pm, there are less people on the road. I’m not scared of night journeys though, as my parents always accompany me on the journey at night. We are familiar with the area; we have been living here for a long period. But we don’t roam around the area. When I have free time I stay at home, help my mother and watch TV.
Researcher’s experience
Rina walks home feeling very tired.
We pass by a playground that is adjacent to her house. It is very dark. A number of boys are hanging around in there. I ask Rina if she feels scared seeing them. She replies that she does not go anywhere alone.
Inside Rina’s home
Rina’s experience
Sometimes when I return home at night my mother asks me to buy some items and I go to the store. Except for this I usually don’t visit any other places.
After starting work, my only non working day is Friday. I have one friend. I visit her house that is adjacent to ours. We don’t have any relatives nearby. It usually takes 3-4 hours to reach our home village by bus. During the Eid holidays we did not go to visit our village.
My sister and I sometimes go to my other sister’s house, by rickshaw, in the evening. The boys hanging around in her area are not good. If a girl walks beside the road, they talk rubbish. My sister lives there with her in-laws as her husband went to Mauritius and she has recently lost her only child. Soon she will move back here to live.
Researcher’s experience
After coming from work, Rina rests a little bit and then starts doing housework.
Explore Rina’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.