***additional galleries: the zabaleen of garbage city: Zabaleen_021

Walid, a young Zabaleen man, collects garbage from the streets in front of the pyramids in Cairo. 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 sort through for items to recycle.

Walid, a young Zabaleen man, collects garbage from the streets in front of the pyramids in Cairo. 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 sort through for items to recycle.