Out of the Dump: Writing and Photographs by Children of Guatemala

In Guatemala City, thousands of children live, eat and work in the smoldering garbage dump in the center of the city, collecting materials for recycling and scavenging for items to resell. In 1991, photographer Nancy McGirr decided to start a project in which the youngsters would photograph their own world with the profits used to allow the children to attend school. For these children, photography has become a door to the future.

Let's look at parenting from a child's view--Over 1,000 children live and scavenge in the Guatemala City garbage dump. In this stunning and heartbreaking book, the dump children photograph and write about their parents, siblings, animals, and about their plans for the future. Mirian Esquivel writes, "Women always have a lot of children because they fall in love when they're only fifteen years old." Rosario Lopez promises, "When I'm a mother, I'm going to educate my daughters." Gladiz Jimenez says, "My parents can't read. / They can only write their names. / Maybe I will be their teacher. / Ma me mi mo mu."