Zabbaleen

The Zabbaleen (Egyptian Arabic: زبالين Zabbalīn, ) are teenagers and adults who have served as Cairo's informal garbage collectors for approximately the past 70 to 80 years. Zabbaleen means "Garbage people" in Egyptian Arabic. The Zabbaleen (singular: زبال Zabbāl, ) are also known as Zarraba (singular: Zarrab), which means "pig-pen operators."