I SAW them again – a group of young Bangladeshi workers labouring under the scorching midday sun, clearing piles of rubbish. Sweat streamed down their foreheads. Gloves covered their hands. They were doing a job that is difficult, dirty and one that many locals would rather avoid.
I am sure this is not the job they dreamed of doing. Who would? But they have families to support and mouths to feed back home. Out of necessity, they continue to toil with quiet determination.
Watching them made me stop and reflect. These young men deserve our respect. If they did not clean our streets, parks, drains and neighbourhoods, our surroundings would be overwhelmed by rubbish.
Filth breeds disease and disease can threaten the health of an entire community. The truth is that they help keep our country clean, healthy and safe. They may not wear suits or carry impressive titles. They may not be doctors, engineers or corporate executives. Yet, their contribution to our daily lives is every bit as essential.
Employers, too, have a responsibility to care for their well-being. They deserve fair wages, decent accommodation, safe working conditions and humane treatment.
In my view, sanitation workers should be recognised as essential service workers and rewarded accordingly.
The same should apply to others whose work often goes unnoticed – the cleaners, gardeners, security guards, street sweepers, garbage collectors, lorry helpers and construction workers. They all deserve our respect, recognition and above all, dignity.
Sadly, our society has become accustomed to overlooking them. They are often around us, yet we hardly see them. When people become invisible, it is easy to forget that they, too, have families, hopes, dreams and self-respect.
That has to change. I believe change should begin in kindergartens. Let us teach our children that every honest job carries dignity and value.
Imagine schools inviting sanitation workers, gardeners, security guards and street sweepers to meet the children. Imagine the children thanking them, shaking their hands and listening to their stories. That lesson in humanity may be more valuable than those found in textbooks.
Too often, we take their services for granted. We only realise how indispensable they are when they stop working.
My message is simple: Every human being deserves to be treated with respect, kindness and dignity, regardless of the work they do or the position they occupy in society.
Let us celebrate these men and women whose quiet labour contributes every day to our nation’s cleanliness, well-being and continued progress.
They may be invisible to many but to me, they are among the true heroes of our nation.
Thank you for keeping our country clean. We owe you far more gratitude than we often express.
Sajad Hussein Kamarally
Veteran Journalist
