Dawit Teshome

Seeing young children collecting metal scarps and plastic waste is commonplace across many cities in Ethiopia. Though difficult to acknowledge, the reality suggests that teenagers across the country work daily collecting recyclable scraps to support themselves and their families. They do this often at the expense of their chance at education. Yet despite the difficulty of the situation and the hardship they face, their lives are not at all miserable. Their stories, like all human stories, are full of joy and optimism. 

This story focuses on a collective of teenagers in Bahir Dar who scrap waste to make their living. It offers a glimpse into the common yet overlooked lives of the thousands of teenagers involved in this difficult trade across the country.

Biography Dawit Teshome