What She Makes

"We are rationing our food, and I only cook once a day and we eat small meals, but how little can three fully grown people eat? I shudder to think of the future. We have to pay rent in a couple of days – [$47 CAD] –and [$23 CAD] for my daughter’s school. We’ll have no money left after that. We’ve been going to the factory every day—we stand outside the gates to plead our case, but there’s no one to listen. Is anybody even thinking about us?"

"[The factory] arranged big drums to wash our hands before we enter, and on the microphone, they make announcements asking us to wear masks and gloves. But we can’t work wearing gloves. My coworker is a foot away from me, so I don’t know whether we are maintaining social distancing like they announce on the mic.I don’t have a choice but to come to work. I have no money in my pocket—I am running on loans from various places—and I am desperate. If I don’t come to work, then they can get rid of me or not pay me. Of course, I am worried about my life—even poor people worry about their lives."

"I belonged to a poor family. We suffered from a financial struggle. That is why I started to work at a garment factory. I was perhaps 16, 17 years old back then. I worked from 8 am to 9 pm. At times it would get to 12 am too. There is no overtime pay for sweaters. But when there is pressure to work, it can get till 9 pm, 12 am and even 3 am. For 4 days a week, I worked until 12 am. For 3 days until 9 pm."

"I really wish I could just give up this job. If only I had some money saved, I would leave in a heartbeat. I may be poor, but I value my life."

"Just because we are poor, they can do anything with us and to us. But they don’t have to go work. They are safe in their big buildings which they made with our sweat. We are poor, we need the money, so we keep our mouth shut, and our head low."