Fujairah Cleaner: ‘It’s My Duty'

A recent (9 February 2008) Khaleej Times article ran an interview with Anand, a native of India’s Andhra Pradesh, who works as a cleaner for the Fujairah Municipality.

It is an interesting story that mirrors the lives of thousands of people from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and the Philippines who keep the economy of the UAE going.

Like so many people, Anand gets up early and works extremely hard doing menial work for very little money (Dh800 a month, which reflects an increase in the last month of 70%). Anand has left his wife and three children back in his homeland and he endures this existence in order to support them. Like so many others, this is seen as his ‘duty’.

Andand appears to carry out his work happily as he feels lucky to have a job. But he despairs at the people who drop paper and plastic on the streets and he would love to get invited to schools to lecture schoolchildren. Asked about the content of his lecture, Anand said, “I would urge children not to throw waste like cans and chips bags on the street.”

The full article can be read at this link.

Dr Geoff Pound

Image: Anand, a Fujairah cleaner (courtesy of Khaleej Times)