Mbeubeuss landfill in the Malika district of Dakar, Senegal (14° 48′ N – 17° 19′ W) © Yann Arthus-Bertrand.
Mbeubeuss is a giant landfill site near Dakar, the capital of Senegal. About 1,300 tonnes of waste are added every single day, polluting the soil, air and water. But some 2,500 people make their living there by collecting and selling recyclable waste. With no other jobs or means of making money available to them, they oppose plans to close Mbeubeuss, despite the damage it is doing to their health.
Mbeubeuss is a giant landfill site near Dakar, the capital of Senegal. About 1,300 tonnes of waste are added every single day, polluting the soil, air and water. But some 2,500 people make their living there by collecting and selling recyclable waste. With no other jobs or means of making money available to them, they oppose plans to close Mbeubeuss, despite the damage it is doing to their health.
GOAL BY 2030: EDUCATION OR JOBS FOR ALL YOUNG PEOPLE AND AN END TO CHILD LABOUR.
Decent jobs and equal pay for equal work are needed for all, irrespective of gender, age, disability and ethnicity. Youth unemployment is a major problem. The global figure is 13% in the 15–24 age group. In Greece, it is 40%. At 8.2%, Denmark has one of the lowest rates in Europe.
When do you become an adult? In some countries, it’s when you leave home; in others, it’s when you get married. Yet many young people in many parts of the world can’t afford to do either, and feel that this denies them the opportunity that they yearn for to make their own decisions in life.
Modern slavery is a huge issue. The Global Slavery Index, published by the Walk Free Foundation, estimates that in 2018 there were more than 40 million slaves in the world, of whom one in four was a child. Girls are often coerced into prostitution, forced marriages, non-consensual sex and back-breaking housework. Boys are forced down mines, out on fishing boats or to work the land.
All forms of forced labour must be abolished by 2025. We need new types of jobs and employment. Economic growth must continue, but in ways that benefit the poor in particular. And all of this needs to happen without us further depleting the Earth’s resources.
