Not All white is pretty

2025

In Egypt’s sun-scorched quarries, limestone is not just a commodity—it’s the economic lifeline for entire communities.Workers toil daily across 1,500 quarries, chiseling out stones destined for construction sites, pharmaceutical labs, and ceramic factories. Yet behind this $5-to-$10-a-day labor lies a stark reality: crushed limbs, fatal electrocutions, and lives cut short in one of the world’s most perilous industries.  

The dangers are relentless. Workers navigate jagged terrain littered with exposed live wires, while machinery operates without safety guards or training.

As global demand for limestone grows, so does the toll on those who extract it. For Egypt’s quarry workers, every breath is tinged with chalk—a reminder that progress, for some, comes at the price of survival.