For families around the Smokey Mountain, having children's was a way of getting more arms and hands to work as scavengers, in order to improve their income. Nowadays, mentalities have changed with the efforts of the many programs based around the former dump site to help residents of this area and parents are starting to be more willing to sacrifice them selfs to sent their kids to school.
This photograph was taken in the surroundings of the former Smokey Mountain, officially closed more than a decade ago, where people still people scavenge for a living.
Kid at the Smokey Mountain, Tondo. Manila