Trash People of Egypt

 

(Photos by Alexander Heilner)

 Some hardworking sensitive person could get rich.

Cairo is a city of 8 million people, and yet most of the city's garbage is collected by an unofficial labor force which has been acting of its own volition for nearly 100 years. The "Zabbaleen," or "Trash People," live at the foot of the Muqqattam Hills on the city's east side. They collect, sort, sell, recycle, and reuse the vast majority of Cairo's refuse.

Cairo is a city of 8 million people, and yet most of the city's garbage is collected by an unofficial labor force which has been acting of its own volition for nearly 100 years. The "Zabbaleen," or "Trash People," live at the foot of the Muqqattam Hills on the city's east side. They collect, sort, sell, recycle, and reuse the vast majority of Cairo's refuse.

Cairo is a city of 8 million people, and yet most of the city's garbage is collected by an unofficial labor force which has been acting of its own volition for nearly 100 years. The "Zabbaleen," or "Trash People," live at the foot of the Muqqattam Hills on the city's east side. They collect, sort, sell, recycle, and reuse the vast majority of Cairo's refuse.

The process of training and maintaining the skills required to be one of the Trash People of Egypt would require years of formal education in Hog rearing, organic and inorganic waste separation and disposal, staff team building, and neighborhood organization/communications. Meticulous sorting of the trash of Egypt's major cities leads to the cities somewhat hidden hog farms in the courtyards of apartment blocks. Not an ideal location according to the nearest neighbors but the only place which will take the garbage and trash which would choke the city's without their tireless and ridiculed efforts. This is the only place which can dispose of the cities trash until the Swine Flu fear of 2009 which threatens the livelihoods of the Trash People of Egypt and their expertise and traditions. They will have no place to put the organic portion of the waste when the Hogs are removed by the government and only the most quick minded entrepreneur will be able to weave this disaster into gold by replacing the Hogs with compost/methane factories. The Trash People will need to be trained but only they are capable of the ground work and transfer of skills. But their pride will have to be considered when the concept is presented to them. Many of the Trash People could just as easily enjoy the short rest of homelessness before they die compared to the hostility they endure daily if their pride is taken from them. One of the most valuable bits of knowledge in their Trash processing repertoires is that without their tireless efforts the city will choke to a halt and that feeds their persistence and subtly gesticulated nobility among the providers of the trash. Someone will have to be fast and diplomatic as they teach the Trash People of Egypt using demonstrations how to use sanitary green equipment. Someone will have to paper the Trash People's egos by pointing out that only they can continue and refine the traditions of sorting so the new equipment will not become poisonous traps and will instead become hugely profitable sources of compost soil for gardens and methane gas for much need fuel. Who is going to be fast enough to reap the huge profits by saving the skills of the Trash People of Egypt?