I've spent the last week in Riverton City, on the outskirts of Kingston Jamaica. Riverton is right at the edge of the rather overloaded Kingston landfill. I was shooting at a make-shift foundry. A group of men who live in Riverton collect scrap aluminum from the landfill, melt it down in a homemade furnace, and recast it in molds made of river sand. This complex process takes place in a shanty workshop with only the most basic materials. It's an incredible sight.
Mark Treuenfels served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Riverton, and he made this group his main project. He came along on this shoot to help us capture the process, and the remarkable men who forge aluminum products from the most basic materials. He took these candid photos throughout the week in Riverton, as we captured the community which has built a livelihood around the landfill.
I'd like to thank Mark for all his help. Fifteen years after his Peace Corps service, Mark is still dedicated to the project. He travels back to Riverton annually, and he still hopes to increase the profitability of the project, for both himself, and for the men in Riverton. He's the perfect example of a social entrepreneur.
Look for this video in the coming months, and a podcast about the project in about a week.
-Alan Toth
-photos by Mark Treuenfels