Mohammed Rafiq has been painting Pakistan's colourful buses for 40 years, but there's a dark side to the industry.
Like millions of his compatriots, Rafiq started work at the age of 12, missing out on education and exploited as a child labourer. "We would put our heart into it," said Rafiq, recalling his early days as a bus painter.
"Nowadays the apprentices come and just see it as a day job," he sighs, sitting on a plastic chair on the muddy tarmac as Pakistan's now iconic colourful buses roll by.
He picked up painting quickly and gained notoriety for his skill, drawing beautiful scenes on the buses that would travel across the country. "My work spread all over Pakistan. But we didn't get much money per bus."
More than 40 years of working without any safety equipment or precautions have taken their toll. At 69 years old, Rafiq's lungs are now failing. "This sickness is because of the paint, the chemicals, thinners, petrol fumes," he explains, gasping for breath.
Filmed by Al Jazeera's Hassan Ghani.
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27 сен 2024
