THEY call them "Somali flowers".
 |
Disposal companies
have dumped tones of waste in the Daami neighborhood of Hargeisa, leaving
children to pick their way through the waste, above; Concern Worldwide helped
set up community groups so women could start self-sufficiency projects, far
right; while many children have suffered severe ailments because their families
have no access to basic medical facilities Photographs: David Pratt |
Faded from the searing sun, snagged on bushes, and fences, tumbling on
the dusty breeze or lying in clusters across waste ground, the turquoise and
pink plastic bags so nicknamed by locals litter the city of Hargeisa. Their presence in Somaliland's capital is no respecter of rich or poor, uptown
or downtown life, though inevitably it is the poorest communities where the
worst garbage is to be found. Daami neighborhood is one such place. In this sprawling slum that is home to
some 3500 people, many belong to Somaliland's minority clans and are among the
most marginalized in the region.