Garbage City, a neighborhood in Cairo, Egypt

These are portraits of residents of Manshiyat Naser, also know as Garbage City, a slum settlement on the outskirts of Cairo. The economy in Manshiyat Naser revolves around the collection and recycling of the city's garbage. Although the area has streets, shops, and apartments like any neighborhood, it lacks infrastructure and often has no running water, sewage, or electricity. I had my driver take me to this neighborhood for a day so I could see and learn about the informal sector of Cairo's economy.

What I learned is that the city's garbage is brought to Manshiyat Naser by the Zabbaleen, or garbage collectors, who then sort through the garbage to retrieve any potentially useful or recyclable items. As I walked through the streets, there was garbage piled high alongside the road, and I could see dark concrete rooms filled with stacks of garbage. Men, women or children crouch to sort the garbage into "useable" or "sellable" piles. Carts pulled by horse or donkey are stacked high with recyclable goods.

In Manshiyat Naser, families typically specialize in a particular type of garbage which they sort and sell. One room may have children sorting out plastic bottles, while in the next room women are separating out aluminum cans. Anything that can be reused or recycled is saved. Various recycled paper and glass products are made and sold from Manshiyat Naser, and metal is melted down and reused.