The grim reality of working in a brick factory – test
Across Cambodia, families struggle to survive by working in the brick factories that are fuelling the construction boom.
Making bricks is hot, brutal work. The machines often lead to broken or lost limbs. Mony’s parents have both suffered life-altering accidents in the workplace, rendering them at times unable to work and in debt to the factory owners.
Instead of being able to rely on compensation to survive, they had to rely on Mony – a 13-year-old girl to bring in an income.
Mony had no choice but to start working in the factory. This meant living with constant fear of being hurt like her parents while working gruelling nine-hour shifts, carrying heavy loads and using dangerous machinery without any safety equipment.