Last Saturday evening, I had the opportunity to attend to the annual Ramadan gathering organized by one of our CAWU board members Eng. Nagwa Raouf, in Ezbet al-Haggana, a very poor area close to Madinet Nasr in Cairo. Ms.Nagwa usually organizes her annual gathering   during Ramadan sharing a delicious Iftar with her guests.However, as she is traveling soon, she held her event earlier this year.

Ms. Nagwa is the founder of “Emarat Al-Insan”[1] (The people’s buildings), an NGO founded in September 2005 which aims to improve the housing conditions of less fortunate people in the Ezbet al-Haggana area. The gathering took place at the cultural center where women and children have classes.

My journey began when Ms.Maha (Ms. Nagwa’s friend) and her young daughter Judy (8 years old) picked me up.We drove until we reached Ezbet al Haggana, where we parked just outside of the neighborhood to continue our journey by tuk-tuk; indeed the narrow streets do not give an easy access to the neighborhood by car.

Once we arrived in front of the center, the color of the neighborhood immediately caught my attention.As most of the buildings have not been painted, the reddish color from bricks is omnipresent.Wherever you look, you can see bricks. The environment exudes a feeling of “unfinished-ness” as though there is still work to be done in Ezbet al-Haggana.

 The building itself is composed of a main floor, where all the activities, including the classes for women and children take place and a roof where the gathering took place.

The center mainly focuses on Islamic social work, thanks to its 3 teachers. This year the Center provides classes to less than 15 children (boys and girls) from 3 to 6 years old, teaching them all subjects.

Moreover, the center aims to fight against illiteracy by giving reading and writing classes to women.Ms.Nefessi, the elder of them, learnt to read and write in Arabic, Because of this, she has been able to cut a deal with the local mosque; as she is able to read and understand the whole Qur’an, the mosque awarded her by financing her “Omra” that is, her pilgrimage to Mecca.

After I arrived, Ms. Nagwa warmly welcomed me in the kitchen where she was actively preparing the dinner with the other members of the organization. She then invited me to have a seat on the roof where the chairs and table were already dressed, decorated by the children’s drawings.

I was interested to know more about the organization and its needs to see if I could come back and volunteer to help out. My time playing with the children reminded me of my previous volunteer teaching experiences, and how much I miss interactions with children. During the evening, I also met other guests such as Dr. Nagia Abdelmonem Said and Ms. Iqbal El Assiuty, a Muslim and a Christian member of the Moral Rearmament Association. After a delicious dinner, we attended a show prepared by the children and their teachers.

My evening at the Center was a really pleasant experience; I really hope I will be able to visit the Center again. I would to thank  Cornelis Hulsman. for giving me the opportunity to attend to this gathering and Ms. Nagwa Raouf for being such a caring hostess.

[1] For more information about the organization please check the article available on our website 58.Emarat Al Insan Foundation – 19/08/2014- Muhammad Shawky.

http://www.arabwestreport.info/en/year-2014/week-33/58-emarat-al-insan-f...

 Cairo, May 14, 2017

Dina Bouchkouch is a Moroccan-French student of Foreign Applied Languages, English - Arabic, specialized in International Relations at the University of Bordeaux and interns at the Center for Arab-West Understanding.