Dávid from Zambia – XX. Blog Post

A few weeks ago, I shared why I truly enjoy markets both in Hungary and here in Zambia. However, today I'm showing a slightly different perspective, and I think this is the first market I don't really like.

The photo shows Lusaka's largest open-air market, located in the heart of the Chibolya neighborhood. This area is known as the most dangerous district in the city and is infamous throughout Zambia. It's a real slum, full of crime and brutal poverty. For both locals and outsiders, extreme caution and vigilance are essential, and honestly, it's best to avoid the area altogether. After dark, it's even forbidden to walk anywhere near.

In this area, theft, pickpocketing, break-ins, drug trafficking, violence, and gang attacks are daily occurrences. The poverty here is much more intense than anything we've witnessed so far.

I took the photo from a bridge during broad daylight, at a safe distance. The road shown in the picture is the entrance to the Chibolya slum, but about 800 meters in, the real nightmare begins. You can feel the sense of hopelessness and the stench of deep poverty pouring out from the heart of the ghetto.

~ April Highlights