‘I don't want more people to do this job’: The dark side of Pakistan’s bus art industry
Mohammed Rafiq has been painting colourful buses for 40 years
Mohammed Rafiq has been painting colourful buses for 40 years, but his lungs are now failing. PHOTO COURTESY: AL JAZEERA
Mohammed Rafiq is a bus painter in Faisalabad and started work at the age of 12, missing out on education and exploited as a child labourer.
Recalling his early days as a bus painter, Rafiq said, "We would put our heart into it.”
"Nowadays the apprentices come and just see it as a day job," he said.
Rafiq picked up painting quickly and gained fame 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."
The average daily wage for a bus painter today is around Rs 600.
Rafiq said he could barely survive. He was unable to secure a decent education for his children and struggling to pay the rent each month. His passion for his work pulled him through.
"Everything was done by hand, by brush. It was beautiful. Now they use machine printed material, which is beautiful in its own way."
Pakistani truck art through camera lens
However, 40 years of working without safety equipment and precautions have taken their toll. Rafiq's lungs are now failing.
"This sickness is because of the paint, the chemicals, thinners, petrol fumes," he explains, gasping for breath.
Many of the men who worked alongside him also suffer in the same way. None are able to afford proper treatment.
Rafiq said, despite his passion for his work, he was not keen for others to follow in his footsteps.
"I don't want more people to do this job. I couldn't save any money in my life. I couldn't educate my children. Fate wasn't on my side."
This story originally appeared on Al Jazeera.
Recalling his early days as a bus painter, Rafiq said, "We would put our heart into it.”
"Nowadays the apprentices come and just see it as a day job," he said.
Rafiq picked up painting quickly and gained fame 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."
The average daily wage for a bus painter today is around Rs 600.
Rafiq said he could barely survive. He was unable to secure a decent education for his children and struggling to pay the rent each month. His passion for his work pulled him through.
"Everything was done by hand, by brush. It was beautiful. Now they use machine printed material, which is beautiful in its own way."
Pakistani truck art through camera lens
However, 40 years of working without safety equipment and precautions have taken their toll. Rafiq's lungs are now failing.
"This sickness is because of the paint, the chemicals, thinners, petrol fumes," he explains, gasping for breath.
Many of the men who worked alongside him also suffer in the same way. None are able to afford proper treatment.
Rafiq said, despite his passion for his work, he was not keen for others to follow in his footsteps.
"I don't want more people to do this job. I couldn't save any money in my life. I couldn't educate my children. Fate wasn't on my side."
This story originally appeared on Al Jazeera.