ZORIAH - A PHOTOJOURNALIST AND WAR PHOTOGRAPHER'S BLOG

Another Factory - Bangladesh

2013-05-22T21:39:38+02:00

A worker in a run down factory in Dhaka's old city.

Young Factory Worker

2013-05-09T21:13:39+02:00

A young man working in a small metal factory in Dhaka, Bangladesh

Bangladesh Factory Worker

2013-05-01T18:56:10+02:00

In hopes of keeping people's attention on the conditions for workers in Bangladesh, I am going through recent images to pull out a few that show the conditions in factories very similar to the one that recently collapsed and destroyed so many lives.

A man works in a cramped and polluted factory that manufactures mirrors in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Factories like this one are often over crowded, poorly maintained and poorly built.

Bangladesh Workers

2013-04-24T22:11:55+02:00

I have spent a lot of time in Bangladesh over the past few years and, unfortunately, it was no surprise to hear of the building collapse in today's news. The conditions are terrible for most of the workers all across the country, but it is worse when the products are being made so that we here in the west can have incredibly cheap products and clothing. I hope that this situation will bring about some change that will help the working conditions for the people in who risk their lives every day so that we can keep more of our money in our bank accounts.

Workers repair a large ship supported by stacks of bricks and metal poles in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Acid Attack

2013-04-09T19:24:45+02:00

Acid attacks are still common in many countries and this subject needs more attention from the international community. Governments need to be pressured to make stronger laws and ones that are actually enforced. People need to understand that these attacks are never, ever excusable. Communities need to learn that the survivors of these attacks are not to blame and are to be treated with dignity, respect and compassion.

These are a few of the thousands of people who have been attacked by acid. The woman are almost always attacked because they scorned the advances of potential partner or turned down a marriage proposal. The male survivors were most often burned by a second party in a land or other dispute. There really is NO excuse for attacks like these, so I wont go into the details of each individual's case.

If you are ever attacked with acid or witness an attack here is some advice that will help you minimize the injuries:

1. Immediately wash the acid off! Even if you have to jump into a filthy, dirty lake or river, do it! Get the acid off of yourself or the victim as soon as possible, this will have the greatest effect on how severe the injuries will be.

2. Seek medical attention AFTER washing off as much of the acid as you can.

3. Preserve any evidence and have the police called as soon as possible (having the perpetrators prosecuted will help prevent these attacks in the future.)

The Acid Survivors Foundation is a really wonderful organization that helps people that have been attacked with acid. They provide medical care and support as well as long-term support for the survivors. They have also done more than any other organization I have seen to educate the community about the plight of the survivors as well as working with government to strengthen laws and the push for punishment of perpetrators. If you are in a position where you can donate money, or even medical items, clothes, vocational training etc then please consider contacting this organization. You can find more information here: How To Help

Photographer's Notes: I would like to personally thank all of the acid attack survivors for their kindness and willingness to participate in this project. It is my hope that these images will help bring awareness to this subject and that, in there future, there will be far fewer people affected by this problem.

On a personal note it was a pleasure to meet all of you. I only had time to visit a few of you in your homes and meet your families but that was a wonderful experience and I thank you for being so kind. I hope that more people in your communities will see you the way that I see you, as wonderful, kind, strong and intelligent human beings. I am proud to call you my friends!!