Egypt

A number of people asked to hear more about my recent trip to Egypt, so I thought a blog would be a great way to share my experiences and even better my photos. So here goes …

About MEDA

I work for MEDA, a non-profit organization that provides solutions to poverty around the world. We help people sustain their families without ongoing support, i.e., “Give a man a fish; you have fed him for today. Teach a man to fish; and you have fed him for a lifetime.” MEDA works with entrepreneurs through institutions that provide loans, training and an understanding of market opportunities. Our work in Egypt is a bit different from what we usually do. There, our project involves working children (called Promoting and Protecting the Interests of Children Who Work — PPIC-Work). In most cases, children are working because their families are poor. And often their working conditions are not safe. Through MEDA’s work, children are provided with safer workplaces and educational opportunities.

The project goals are: 1. safe working environment; 2. children given a voice to advocate for proper working conditions; 3. opportunities to go to school, learn to read and write, and, perhaps to learn a trade; 4. work for employers that treat them well.

An Example of MEDA's Work in Egypt

My trip included site visits to workplaces that were given PPIC-Work loans to improve conditions, etc. This was definitely a highlight. It was eye-opening to see where clients live and work, and it was wonderful to hear about the effects of MEDA's work. We visited a mechanic's shop who was using his loans to build a better workplace with washroom facilities and a staff room. All of the children that I visited were involved in literacy classes. This is very important since the education system in Egypt is not very strong and many children drop out of school. Many children also participated in workshops where they can voice concerns, and in retreats where they interact with other kids. Here is a story that is a good example of the PPIC-Work project's impact.

EACID provided a PPIC-Work loan to Basma and Ibtisam’s parents who own a family-operated grocery store in Aswan. The family invested in a cart to carry produce up a steep hill, a machine to pluck chickens and now buy their goods in bulk quantities. As a result, they have increased productivity levels and have created a better work environment for the girls. Basma and Ibtisam have participated in an EACID sponsored camp that teaches life skills to girls. Basma is enrolled in a computer science institute, and Ibtisam is finishing secondary school.

The Assignment

My job at MEDA is Graphic Communications. I’m a part of the resource development team (marketing, fundraising). Basically I keep busy creating presentations, developing printed promotional materials, managing our web site, and lots of other tasks like designing training materials, newsletters, etc., etc.

I visited Egypt from September 17 to October 6, 2005. My assignment was to develop a marketing image for our Egyptian partner’s youth lending product line, and create materials for a Arab Microfinance Conference in which MEDA and partner will present a workshop.

Here I am with some of the women at EACID (Egyptian Association for Community Initiatives and Development). EACID is a microfinance institution with a strong social bent, and is MEDA's partner in Aswan. They work in other interesting areas as well. The woman on the left, Seham (not sure if that's spelled correctly), works to eliminate female genital mutilation which is prevalent in Egypt. She is very passionate about her work--showing me news clippings about the project and awards they've won. I really enjoyed meeting these ladies. They were so friendly and eager to help with whatever they could.

Middle Eastern Hospitality

I wouldn’t dream of going to Egypt without tacking on some vacation time! The sights are stunning, the culture is so different from Canada and I loved experiencing it all. I loved the incredible hospitality of the people I met. A PPIC-Work employee, Mohammed Shoman, went out of his way to take us to beautiful cafes, and even to the market where he did all the bartering on my behalf. It is a tremendous asset to have an Egyptian shop with you since the shop owners will give hugely inflated prices to tourists. It was really neat to witness the bartering process. In a jewelry shop, Mohammed had a pretty fiesty exchange with the owner, but when the deal was done, they shook hands and smiled, and were all friendly. I expected the owner to be upset with him since he likely would have got a much better price in dealing with me. I showed my surprise, but Mohammed explained that after the business was done, there were no hard feelings--they were good friends!

The photo shows (from left) Joyce Kroeker who you'll meet later, me, Mohammed Shoman and Julie Stevens. (Julie was an intern for MEDA last year. Mohammed managed to charm her off her feet--they are engaged.)

I'm pictured here with MEDA intern Kara O’Brien and a friendly Egyptian shop owner. We were checking out his scarves when he offered to dress us up. After a bartering session and successful sale he brought us hibiscus tea. Where does that happen in North America?

Abu Simbel

I spent time in Cairo and in Aswan, as well as a day in Luxor. While in Aswan, Kara and I took a day trip to Abu Simbel, a site that features the Temple of Ramesses II and a temple erected in honour of his wife Nefartari. They are incredible!

Not only are these two temples among the most magnificent monuments in the world but their removal and reconstruction was an historic event in itself. When the temples (280 km from Aswan) were threatened by submersion in Lake Nasser, due to the construction of the High Dam, the Egyptian Government secured the support of UNESCO and launched a world wide appeal. During the salvage operation (1964 to 1968), the two temples were dismantled and raised over 60 meters up the sandstone cliff where they had been built more than 3,000 years before. Here they were reassembled, in the exact same relationship to each other and the sun, and covered with an artificial mountain.

The River Nile

Did you know that 97% of Egypt’s land mass is desert? I was told it never rains there, to which I replied, “Never?!?” Well, hardly ever. The last time was 8 years ago and I doubt it was a downpour. Apparently it may rain once in a blue moon, but it’s only enough to make things muddy and unpleasant. Because it’s so dry, the Nile River is necessary to the country’s survival. The vast majority of Egypt’s 77 million people live less than a kilometer away from the its banks. And believe me, it’s not hard to fathom that when you visit. Cairo is crowded! The traffic is horrendous--cars are double-parked along streets and left in neutral so they can be moved when others need to get out!

Reportedly there are some 500 cruise ships that travel up and down the Nile. I only had time for a simple felucca ride. A felucca is a narrow, swift, lateen-rigged sailing vessel, and you cannot go anywhere near the Corniche without being offered umpteen offers for a ride! (It gets a little annoying.)

Photos: The Nile at sunset, me on a felucca, and Captain Noor with his assistant.

A Day in Luxor

I spent a day in Luxor, stopping on my way back from Aswan to Cairo. A MEDA employee, George Saliib, arranged a tour guide for the day. It was great to have my own personal guide! First, I visited the Temple of Hatshepsut at Deir el Bahari which is pictured at right. This is a mortuary temple dedicated to the longest ruling female of Ancient Egypt, Queen Hatshepsut. Later, I went to the Valley of the Kings and the Valley of the Queens where there are numerous tombs that are basically catacombs. Egyptians abandoned the pyramid style tombs because the catacombs were harder to rob and were more easily concealed. Most of the tombs were cut into the limestone following a similar pattern: three corridors, an antechamber and a sunken sarcophagus chamber. Construction usually lasted six years!

Luxor is also home to Karnak Temple and Luxor Temple. There were both impressive, but by golly, one can get templed-out … especially when temperatures reach mid-40s (celsius)!

Alexandria

Another MEDA staff person (from our Winnipeg office) was in Egypt at the same time as me. Bob Kroeker, and his wife Joyce, spent 2 months there (see Bob’s blog: http://www.medaegypt.blogspot.com/). They invited me to go along with them to Alexandria for a weekend. We had a blast! Alexandia was interesting. We learned later that there aren’t many tourists there because it’s quite conservative (tourists, especially European ones, prefer Sharm Al-Sheikh where they can be scantily clad). We received a good deal of attention. When we visited Fort Qaytbay, a group of young women greeted us, posed for photos (they loved seeing themselves on our digital cameras), and asked if we had business cards to remember us by. I only had a few which they practically fought over. Inside the fort, a man asked if we would pose for pictures with his children. We thought is very strange until we found out that Alexandria doesn’t attract many tourists.

We could have spent more time visiting monuments, however, Joyce and I twisted Bob’s arm into a day at the Mediterranean Sea. The muslim women kept covered at all times–when swimming too. I felt a tad self-conscious in my swim suit, so I made my into the water quickly, and while on the beach, kept covered up with a wrap or towel!

The Pyramids

Of course, a trip to Egypt is not complete without going to the pyramids. Joyce and I spent a day visiting the Egyptian museum in Cairo and the pyramids at Giza. The museum was spectacular. We had a guide take us through, and we paid extra to see the mummy room. Eerie. At the pyramids, I opted for a camel ride, but couldn’t talk Joyce into accompanying me. It wasn’t particularly exciting, but I figured my nieces and nephew would get a kick out of it!