The Cuban content creator Yase (@yasevids) sparked controversy on social media after posting a video from the well-known "City of Garbage" in Egypt, a neighborhood in Cairo, where thousands of people live amidst waste, but also find in it a way of life and sustenance.
“Acompaña a este cubano a conocer la ciudad de la basura en El Cairo, Egipto. Un lugar donde la vida y la basura se entrelazan de manera que nunca imaginarías,” says the influencer at the beginning of the video, which has over 15,000 views on Instagram and more than 51,000 on his YouTube channel.
In his journey, Yase explains that in this community, called Mokattam, more than a million people manually recycle about 9,000 tons of waste daily. “What’s most surprising is what they do with it. The zabbaleen collect it, separate it, and reuse it. 80% of everything they collect is utilized,” noted the Cuban.
The video showcases the work of this Coptic Christian community, which has built a massive church dedicated to Saint Simon in the mountains, surrounded by debris.
"Here, what is garbage for others is an opportunity," Yase reflected during his walk. He explained that it is an area not typically visited by tourists, and since he arrived at the outskirts of the neighborhood, he could start to smell the strong odor of waste.
However, what caused the most uproar among the followers was not the story of the Egyptians but the comparisons to the reality in Cuba.
“For a moment, I thought it was Havana,” commented one user. “That's the direction we're heading,” wrote another, while dozens of internet users agreed that the images resembled the most rundown neighborhoods of the Cuban capital.
Some criticized Yase for not showing the situation in her own country: “Why don’t you record for YouTube in Havana, if it’s the same?” commented a follower.
Others defended the creator's approach for highlighting communities that survive with dignity despite poverty.
The so-called City of Garbage, internationally known for the work of the zabbaleen, is regarded as an example of informal circular economy, where manual recycling has enabled its residents to sustain a self-managed community despite the harsh living conditions.
Yase has sparked an intense debate among Cubans regarding the urban decay of Havana and the similarities that some see with the Egyptian community. In the words of a user: “The difference is that there, the garbage provides for them, and in Cuba, misery is what generates it.”
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