Our Life and Their Life

Reporter: Hello, how are you?
Woman: Hi, thank you. I’m going through the garbage. I have no one to take care of me and my three little kids. I’m not able to provide for them. I find food for them in this garbage.
Reporter: Don’t you have someone to support you?
Woman: No dear, my supporter passed away few years ago
Reporter: May he rest in peace
Woman: Thank you
Reporter: Are you from this area?
Woman: No, I’m from Khorasan (north Iran)
Reporter: So you live around this area? How long has it been?
Woman: I’ve been living in this village for the past 10-12 years
Reporter: what is the name of this village?
Woman: Nasir Aabad
Reporter: Do you have a cart, or car to pick the garbage up? Or do you use this bag?
Woman: I use the same bag and I carry it home with me.
Reporter: How many kids do you have?
Woman: I have two daughters, one had defective eye and had a surgery not too long ago.
Reporter: No son?
Woman: I have two, they are both married. I had 3 daughters. We used to come here and go through the garbage. My daughter told me one day, mom I’m tired. I’m fed up with this situation. Everybody is living their life and look at our life. I told her this is our destiny. My daughter was tired, she ate something after fasting all daylong, and she was sitting by the fire; it was the 17th of Ramadan. My little daughter was sick. I went to get her medication. I asked my oldest to go with me; she said you go I’ll follow you. As I stepped away and looked back I saw big flames. I couldn’t move I was devastated; this guy who’s coming towards us helped to put the fire off. He is a stranger, my kids call him uncle. He comes and looks after us like you.
She was tired, she used to say: is this a way to live life, is it? I lost my girl just like that, she killed her self. She used to say, I’m tired mom. Look at everyone else, look how they dress and look at us. Aren’t we Iranian and from here, their life and our life.
This is not a life we are living. My little one asks me to buy her shoes, how can I buy her shoes? I’ve been sick for the past two days and I wasn’t able to come here and go through the garbage. How can I provide for them and live life this way?

Reporter: Is your home close by?
Woman: Not too far from here
Reporter: Is it ok if I go along to your house?
Woman: Sure
Reporter: Sorry to bother you
Woman: Not a problem at all!

Part Two

Reporter: What do you normally get to eat in this situation?
Woman: Not a whole a lot, plain bread and baked potato, eggs sometimes, or rice if I get it from friends.
Reporter: Do you get your husbands retirement wages?
Woman: No, They have even stopped paying us worker monthly help for the past two years.

Reporter: Is your heater works with oil?
Woman: Yes
Reporter: Do you buy the oil from this area?
Woman: Yes
Reporter: Have there been times when you had to turn the heater off from lacking oil?
Reporter: Two nights ago we had no oil. I had to sell my daughters ring to purchase oil.