The departure: The story of Al-Gesr

On Wednesday February 19, 2014, “Al-Gesr” (the bridge area) was eliminated. Al-Gesr is a slum area in the city of Kafr al-Sheikh, where 64 families live, most of whom work in collecting and recycling garbage. On that day I witnessed the destruction of simple houses built from brick and roofed with wood and hay. The place looked like a beehive; everyone was busy with packing and gathering stuff scattered here and there, piling it into cars that would take them to their new houses, provided by the local government. Some of the residents were still hesitant about leaving, and children were moving happily between the ruins of the empty houses while the governorate’s bulldozers demolished them one after the other. I was wandering from one house to the next to record details and ways in which residents had added character to their homes, decorating the walls with colors, hanging posters, and some with more innovative creations made with materials gathered from the local garbage. 
Several weeks later I made a visit to their new houses and talked with them about how they felt. Most of them were unsatisfied, as their new houses are located in an area on the outskirts of the city, next to its garbage dump and incinerator. The houses are far away from any public service facilities, and residents face health risks due to the continuous smoke rising from the garbage dump. The remote location also impacted on residents’ businesses. This is the story of 64 families that lived on the margins of the city. Apparently they will keep facing the same fate for a very long time. 
This is the story of “Al-Gesr,” the bridge that started from nowhere great and is destined to end nowhere safe.