Today we visited with the Abbass family. This is a family we sponsor through PLAN Canada, and we have been since 2000.

We were met early by a man named Addi. He first took us to the local plan office in Southern Cairo. We met the Plan coordinator and they discussed the local programs with us. We were also joined by a man named Mohammed who is the "on ground" coordinator. Mohammed was the person who originally identfied the Abbass family as a family in need of sponsorship.
The drive to the families home took about 30 minutes. The land they live in is government land, but the government has allowed them to live as "squatters" for a small amount of rent. The rent the family pays equals about 5$ CAD each month. The children had taken the day off of school to meet with us, and we were told that they were extremely excited.
As we drove towards their home, I think we got a better sense of what the real Cairo is, not the Cairo of tourists and "touts" (as discussed in the previous entry). The neighborhoods were teeming with people, little shops everywhere selling sausages, laundry supplies, personal items, fruit, smoking shops etc. The roads were full of potholes and much narrower then in the downtown. We really wished we could have taken pictures, but somehow it seemed wrong, like we were guests in this area of town and we didn't want to be "tacky tourists". Manal and her family had been living in a one room (10 X 10) home, but recently moved to a larger home with two rooms. We still met them in their old home, as the grandmother still lives there, but she is ill and she wanted to meet us. Immediately you could see that the family was very excited. They were dressed in their best clothes, the same clothes they wore for family photos. They offered us something to drink. We had been trying to figure out how to deal with this, in Egypt it is considered impolite to refuse the "Egyptian hospitality", but we are trying to be really careful with what we eat and drink so that we don't become ill. We did talk to our interpretor/ guide Addi about this, and he said to ask for soda. So the family gave us some 7-up, and we exchanged gifts. The family has a new 3 month old daughter named Rabee, who is definately they beloved baby. She was kissed repeatedly, and snuggled, and passed around throughout the whole family. They were very pleased to pass her to us as well. Slowly over the course of the visit Manal and her brother sat closer and closer to us, until Manal was holding onto my arm and just staring up at us smiling. The family had one of the photos we had sent them in a frame hanging from the wall, and they told us they had kept every letter and photo we had sent. They also told us the children had received a soccer ball and were very pleased. It was nice to know that the gifts you purchased through PLAN actually got to the families.
Slowly over our visit the neighbors came by to meet us. Since they all live in such close, small quarters and they cook outside their homes, the neighbors are really an extended family.
As we were talking, the family brought around a plate of dried nuts, peanuts, sunflower seeds and some other seed. We tried our best not to eat them, but in the end we had to pick at a few in honour of the fact that they had bought this special treat for us. They then prepared us a traditional Egyptian lunch called Kosheri. It is basically pasta, rice, lentils and chickpeas all cooked and served with tomatoe sauce and fried onions. It was delicious of course. We ate it in their neighbours home because it was slightly bigger.
After lunch it was time for the call to prayer. We were talking and laughing, but it was still quite subdued. Our interpretor and guide asked if we would mind if he left for a few minutes to say his prayers. So he and the other men left, and Shawn and I were left with the women and the children. Being that the only thing I can say in Arabic is hello and thank you, communication was somewhat difficult. Shawn then decided to take out the digital camera and start getting some shots. Well, this was the most fabulous idea ever. I don't think the kids had ever seen such and thing, and the whole room went nuts. Kids were coming in from everywhere, and so were adults to get their photos taken and then to see them. Everyone was clapping and cheering. Shawn showed one young girl how to take photos and she was so excited. Before you knew it we had taken about 50 photos, and everyone was having a great time. We didn't even need to speak Arabic.
Unfortunately we had to leave after this, but it was a wonderful day. To be welcomed into the home of strangers, and treated like family by those who don't have a lot to give is probably the best memory I have of the trip so far. As we were leaving everyone was shaking hands, and the women were all kissing me and giving me their blessings. I was very moved.
The PLAN staff then took us to a community clinic they thought I would like to see. It was fabulous. PLAN, in partnership with Save the children has set up a brand new clinic that is going to be open 24 hours a day and staffed with full time doctors and nurses. It doesn't have the supplies yet, but they should be here by July. The clinic has two OR's, a nursery, an ICU, a dental unit, and even an optometry station. They offered us full time jobs, me to manage the clinic and Shawn to manage the garden/ park area they are going to plant outside.
(For all the PHN's reading this, infants are given oral Polio and measles vaccines).
All the staff and workers at the community building came to meet us, and you could see the passion they had put into this project. They were so excited, we saw everything from linen closets, to the plumbing (with demonstrations of how the taps worked), to the new autoclave they have received.
It was wonderful to know that the money we give to this organization is being used in such a postive way. After the clinic is built and up and running for 5 years without problems, the organization leaves and goes on to a different project.

Anyhow, so far this was our true taste of Egypt, and despite all the history and monuments we have visited, I think it is hard to compare to true Egyptian hospitality.