In a blast-damaged tailor shop in the Lebanese capital, Claudette is back at work sewing the hem of an orange skirt.
"The explosion destroyed everything here, but I decided to return to work, because I have no choice," said the 60-year-old seamstress in the Gemmayzeh neighborhood.
The area was among the hardest hit by the deadly August 4 blast at nearby Beirut port that ravaged swathes of the capital and piled on new misery for Lebanese already reeling from the coronavirus pandemic and the country's worst economic crisis in decades.
A total of 191 have been confirmed killed in Lebanon's deadliest peacetime disaster.
In Gemmayzeh, life is trickling back as an army of volunteers sweep away debris and workmen carry out repairs.
Claudette is among a handful of store owners trying to pick up where they had left off.
"My husband is unemployed, and my 33-year-old son has been fired because of the economic crisis,” she told AFP.
"He has two children and a rent to pay, I have to help him," she said of her son, spools of colored thread neatly arranged on a shelf behind her.
Like many neighbors', Claudette's storefront was shattered by the blast, while her expensive sewing machine was badly damaged.
Donations from a charity helped pay for a new glass storefront but the cost of repairing the machine came out of her own pocket.
The outlook for the future remains grim.
"Most of my clients used to live here. I'm afraid they'll never come back," she said, calling the area a "ghost town".
In a nearby bakery, a man removed hot flat bread topped with thyme or cheese from a large oven, filling the air with scents.
After quick but extensive repairs, Hikmat Kaai reopened just days after the explosion.
"We're trying to reconnect with life because we have hope," Kaai told AFP.
Gemmayzeh, a district known for heritage buildings, trendy bars and hip art galleries, still looks like a wasteland, even with tons of shattered glass and debris removed.
Many of its architectural gems have totally collapsed, while others have been scarred by gaping holes or left roof-less.
On a main street, the Iman Cafe was severely damaged in the explosion, with only its grill left intact.
Its owner, who carried out limited repairs, now serves only sandwiches because most of his kitchen equipment was destroyed.
"We survive thanks to the volunteers and to the NGO employees involved in reconstruction work who come to eat at our place," said manager Mehsen.
