Welcome to DH: Douar Hicher and Ettadhamen are two of the most densely populated and deprived areas in the Tunisian capital of Tunis. They have become synonymous with crime, violence and Islamic extremism

Unemployment and school exclusion in Douar Hicher and Ettadhamen are high, leaving young men with huge amounts of free time. Gyms and mosques are both popular forms of escape. Others turn to drugs and crime instead. ‘People are losing hope because there is no clear vision for the future,’ says 31-year-old Nabil, from Douar Hicher. ‘The economy isn’t moving and now the tourist season is almost over. Of course it can change, but it needs political, social and economic will’

Not in school and with few constructive things to do, some children keep snakes, which they play with in the streets – a fitting symbol, perhaps, of the uncertainties and dangers they face growing up in these neighbourhoods

‘ACAB’ – ‘all cops are bastards’ – is graffitied on walls throughout Douar Hicher and Ettadhamen, a symbol of the hatred many people feel for the authorities in these deprived suburbs

Malek, 25, from Ettadhamen says: ‘I don’t feel safe. You can get mugged or your face might get slit. It’s a dangerous neighbourhood. Sometimes when you go to the police to report it, it falls on deaf ears. ‘Making the country safer is a huge problem the government needs to fix. Not by building a wall in the south [referring to the plan to build a wall along the border with Libya], but by building better schools and building its people to be proud again’

Mariam, 22, from Ettadhamen: ‘I’m studying law, so am often talking about where we are going as a country and what we’re doing for the future … If you visit primary schools here, you’ll see kids at a very young age using verbal and physical violence, so unaware of the effect their surroundings are having on them. ‘They grew up in violence. We should nurture kids with the importance of discussion and difference, and teach acceptance’

Karim, 30, from Douar Hicher: ‘There is violence, both verbal and physical, for girls and boys. The reasons are drugs, alcohol, bad influences, dropping out of school, the lack of mentoring. Even from religion, there’s no proper guidance. Parents are not necessarily present either, because they need to work, but that comes with them leaving their kids uncared for. ‘We can fix this if we all cooperate. Mosques can help too, as places to meet and discuss. I would love to see cultural centres too, so youngsters can go there and learn something instead of sitting in cafes all day long’

Mohamed, 26, from Ettadhamen: ‘Nothing’s changed since the revolution. My dad still earns the same money, my brother still has no job and the police still treat us like shit. Politicians are only in it for their positions and power. They promised us a lot of things that they haven’t delivered … If we want to get rid of them and start the fire again, in a flash their time could be over. But the people are sleeping again’

A drug dealer in his CD and DVD pirating shop cuts blocks of zatla (cannabis) into ‘fingers’, sold for 10 dinars each (about £3). Customers risk a year in prison and fine if caught, and dealers a minimum of five years. ‘This neighbourhood is known for drugs,’ says 22-year old Dhia, from Douar Hicher. ‘People take much less care these days to hide what they are doing. Despite the risks, there are kids younger than me dealing, and doing it blatantly’

Seif, 18, from Ettadhamen (left): ‘Teachers don’t care if the student understands the lesson or not. They can even decide not to teach sometimes, and my mum told me this would have been impossible in her day. If they are annoyed, they just turn up to class and sit there and don’t teach. That doesn’t exactly inspire us. ‘We need to educate young people, to introduce them to organisations that teach people to help themselves … I want Tunisia to advance and evolve’

Elias, 20, from Ettadhamen: ‘I play a lot of football, so everyone here knows me. But there is physical and verbal abuse and violence everywhere. It’s a way of life. The reason is poverty and ignorance – people allow their jealousy and envy to guide their way of life. ‘People have become more aggressive since the revolution … It’s like the survival instinct has kicked in – be aggressive and you’re less likely to be trodden on’

Mehdi, 19, from Ettadhamen: ‘After the revolution, our security decreased massively. Recently [the police] have been raiding the religious groups. They are frightened because it seems like they are capable of anything, these groups. For me, terrorism is caused by the bad quality of education and the gullibility of unemployed kids. ‘The country needs to take care of its youth, because people in neighbourhoods like mine are pushed to the edge, and desperate, and that leads people to do desperate things. I hope to find a job, live a comfortable life, and for this terrorism bullshit to stop’