Garbage Alley

The road on which I live is Mwembelelo Road, and it runs parallel to the road where the project is located. The shortest way to get from one to the other is to walk down a dirt road that has been nicknamed "Garbage Alley".

In Zambia, you have to pay to have your garbage picked up from your house or your office, so most people, particularly those who can't afford this service, burn their waste instead. Garbage Alley is apparently a popular site for this activity. On any given day there will be at least one fire burning on the side of the road, an array of trash scattered across the road and a few people picking through the burnt piles, looking for any remnants of value.