FIGURE. Scavenging Hope: Natalie Cartwright, who took this picture of a manual scavenger in the rural village of Haryana in Moradabad District, Uttar Pradesh, India, writes: “The work of manual scavenging involves the following activities repeated as many as 45 times a day: with wood or tin pieces the scavengers scoop raw fecal matter from the dry latrine (essentially 2 flat stones or bricks placed at the side of the house) and then pour the waste into a loosely woven basket that they carry on their heads. Some feces are sold as manure, but most are disposed of elsewhere. The manual scavengers, 95% of whom are women, suffer serious health consequences, such as higher incidences of asthma, diarrhea, tuberculosis, liver and intestine problems, and eye infections. Powerful social forces including gender, poverty and caste issues impede successful elimination of manual scavenging. This picture was taken on the last day of a 10-day visit I made as part of a data-collecting team. We sat with the manual scavenger women and they played the drums, sang and danced for us and with us. I think this picture is important because it inspires hope.” Manual scavenging in India was banned in 1993, but only about 6 of the 28 states have ratified this law. An estimated 1 million people still work as manual scavangers in India. Image courtesy of Natalie Cartwright