I write when I am alarmed or frustrated; I also write when I am enticed or enthused. Surprisingly, in the last two weeks, I haven’t been moved into expressing my thoughts, which made me wonder if Egypt is finally moving towards the right path.
And it may be so; hence my not finding much to write about, but more importantly people are starting to redirect their attention from the protests and yesterdays, which was my original worry, to the beleaguering social issues, and high time, too. So, when I watched a TV program that boosted my belief in the goodness of Egyptians, I decided that this is definitely worth writing about.
The program had three leading spears directing the discussion: Amr Khalid of For a Better Tomorrow , Amr El Leithi of One of the Public, and the actors/activists Mohammed Sobhy and Hanan Turk. The purpose of this group is to improve the current situation in a few chosen informal settlements—a noble and not easily attainable cause. They are out to raise donations and awareness, and to mobilize many factions in the society to actually make a difference in informal (squatter) communities in Egypt.
Let’s first understand what informal settlements are. They are densely populated areas, mostly shacks and squalors, that were inhabited haphazardly and built with no infrastructure—no sewage, no clean water, no electricity, no schools, no garbage collection, and no planning whatsoever. About 22% of Egyptians live in these informal settlements. It goes without saying that residents make meager wages, if any, and fall under the poverty line.
In these mega slums the residents took it upon themselves to erect dwellings on land which they don’t own, without the consent of the government and with no inspection or approval. They had to live somewhere though and since the government did not provide the necessary shelter, they went ahead and chaotically sheltered themselves. And no one cared enough to intervene or consider their issues. Still, it is with shame that most Egyptians look upon this huge thus-far unsolvable disaster.
Since social injustice breeds violence, these slums had become the epitome of degradation and the factory that corrodes society as a whole. Having lived in humiliation and deprivation, with no education, no training, and no values to boost morals, many slum residents end on the street pillaging, begging, and swindling. It is a totally unjust vicious cycle.
Prior to this project none of the previous efforts gained the same momentum. Many NGO’s and charities had tried working in these areas but were not truly successful, or at least they couldn’t create the following. But if this campaign succeeds, the benefits will be monumental. The first benefit is obvious: to provide relief, assistance, and a level of self respect to a portion of 22% of Egyptians—an astounding feat. The second benefit is to close the gap between those living in formal (serviced) communities and those who live in informal ones. The third is to create empathy towards a huge segment of the population, which has been marginalized for years. Fourth, by improving the living standards of these people, the whole society will gain: less crime, fewer thugs, and a safer environment in urban societies.
So far, this united force is gaining momentum. The armed forces has promised assistance and will have its engineers and architects build the planned homes; thousands of youths are dedicating their time and energy not only to educate the younger generation and the residents in general but also to make them aware of their rights and how they can play a part in society. And donations are flooding in.
We all have ideas but never act upon them, or never see them to fruition; however, to continue to work on an idea until it blossoms into a reality is a true accomplishment. Again this is the work of the revolution—it has given people like Mohammed Sobhy and Amr Khalid the purpose to establish such a project and the stamina to see it to fulfillment.
I can see that the project is indeed moving in the right path and will definitely play a role in the livelihoods of thousands of poverty stricken and helpless Egyptians.
Once such a program succeeds, dozens more will follow. And if at one point these informal settlements become livable, only livable mind you not more, Egypt will definitely become a better place.
I applaud such initiatives and await the day when similar programs are implemented in all Egypt. Once more kudos to the revolution.
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