***additional galleries: the zabaleen of garbage city: Zabaleen_001

A view across the Cairo suburb of Moqqatam, home to around 25,000 coptic ChristiansZabaleen, which literally means “garbage collectors” have assumed a semi-official role as Cairo’s binmen. The Zabaleen men usually do two shifts. They leave at about four or five in the morning, and again at about nine. The poorer Zabaleen use donkey carts, but many earn enough to rent trucks. They then take the garbage back to their homes for the women to pick through for items to recycle.

A view across the Cairo suburb of Moqqatam, home to around 25,000 coptic Christians

Zabaleen, which literally means “garbage collectors” have assumed a semi-official role as Cairo’s binmen. The Zabaleen men usually do two shifts. They leave at about four or five in the morning, and again at about nine. The poorer Zabaleen use donkey carts, but many earn enough to rent trucks. They then take the garbage back to their homes for the women to pick through for items to recycle.