PROJECT HAPPINESS Lecture Notes

Introduction

• Speaker: Giuseppe
• Mission: Travel the world to ask extraordinary people about happiness.
• Focus on the conditions of clothing factory workers in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Personal Background

• Giuseppe's dream to become a doctor.
• Works in clothing factories to fund his sister's education.
• Describes unbearable working conditions: extreme heat, no schooling, lack of protection.

Fast Fashion Overview

• Transition from luxury fashion to fast fashion influenced by:
  • Technological innovation
  • Cultural changes
  • Globalization
• Rapid clothing production in Bangladesh to meet Western demand.
• Workers, including children, are exploited in poor conditions.
• Environmental impact: toxic waste harming land and water.

Pollution in Dhaka

• Buriganga River: one of the most polluted rivers due to industrial wastewater.
• Estimated 21,000 cubic meters of untreated industrial waste released daily.
• Severe health issues in slum residents due to pollution.

Life in the Slums

• Dhaka has over 5,000 slums housing 4 million people.
• Slums arose from urban migration in response to textile industry demand.
• Workers live in cramped, dilapidated housing with minimal sanitation.

Child Labor in Factories

• Children work in tanneries and clothing factories without protection.
• Poor working conditions lead to health issues and early deaths.
• Children preferred for certain tasks due to size and cost.
• Glue used in factories is also abused by street children as a narcotic.

The Cost of Fast Fashion

• Inhumane treatment of workers for cheap clothing.
• Example of a child laborer gluing shoes sold as "Made in Italy."
• Discussion of Rana Plaza tragedy highlighting the dangers of factory work.

Jui's Story

• Jui: a 12-year-old girl working to support her family.
• Previously in school but left due to financial issues.
• Dreams of becoming a doctor, now resigned to factory work.
• Conditions in her home: small space shared with family, precarious living conditions.

Action Aid Organization

• Advocates for children working in factories.
• Provides education, medical care, and emotional support.
• Focus on changing children's lives through sponsorship.
• Example of children in Happy Home, a shelter for street children.

The Importance of Sponsorship

• Sponsorship can provide a pathway out of poverty for children.
• Children can access education, healthcare, and emotional support.
• Encourages viewers to contribute to change.

Conclusion

• Happiness for children should be simple: playing, drawing, being carefree.
• Recognition that many children are denied this due to systemic issues.
• Call to action for viewers to sponsor and support children affected by these injustices.
• Closing thoughts on the importance of dreams and childhood.