Team members' feedback

"Does the sea also have a tiled floor?"

Experiences from the International Caritas Camp for Children in Egypt (July 2004) 

Janique Blattmann (25), Swiss, studied Catholic Theology in Austria and Paris. Because of her interest in Christian-Muslim Dialogue, she did a Bachelor in Arabic and Islamic Studies in Cairo. Beginning from October 2004, she will work for Caritas Egypt in the day care center for street children at the Pyramids in Giza.

When nine-year-old Christine from Cairo's slum area Haggana arrived at the camp, ten-year-old Marianna from a Lebanese orphanage helped her to pack out her clothes. Shocked she screams: "But don’t you have any underwear?" Christine only carried along two slips from her older brother, unwashed and damp. I try to mediate: "Hush, don’t say anything. She doesn’t have anything else." When it came to mark their clothes with their names, some of the Egyptians refused: They had borrowed the clothes from their neighbors. I was very glad that we were able to provide the poorest children with new clothes, a teeth brush, soap and a comb. Some of them knew neither toilet nor shower. In their house, which is often made up of a single room in which up to eighth people are living, they only have a tap.

POVERTY NOW HAS FACES AND NAMES FOR ME

Our first excursion to a swimming pool was a great experience. Many of the kids saw a swimming pool for the first time in their lives - and I hope it wasn't the last one. When we finally took a glance at the "real" sea, they asked astonished: "Does the sea also have a tiled floor?"

The children from Libya, a country which participated for the first time this year, represent a whole range of skin colors. Najwa, the darkest one of them, was considered by the Sudanese to be part of their group: "She's actually a Sudanese, she belongs to us, she just doesn't wanna admit it!" These children have no idea that there are black people all over Africa.

POVERTY MEANS A LIMITED RANGE OF EXPERIENCE

The differences in standard of living and education level are huge among the children participating in the camp. The criteria for poverty differ widely even inside the Arab World. Ten-year-old Egyptian or Sudanese from the slum cannot properly write their name. The headmaster of their school prefers to send his own children to Caritas literacy classes rather than sending them to his own school! Lebanese of the same age are not only fluent in Arabic but also in French, and they can even make themselves understood in English. The Sisters of Charity provide them with an excellent education.

POVERTY ENTAILS A LACK OF EDUCATION

Najwa, a Muslim girl from Libya, has perhaps never met a Christian in her life. With amazement she admires the headscarf of her Coptic-Orthodox friend Nadia: "Who are the ones on the picture here?" - "Well, this is the Virgin Mary with Jesus - and the old guy with the donkey is just one of these saints." The Holy Family on her flight to Egypt, wandering along the Nile in front of the Pyramids. Her parents haven't given the girl many clothes to take along, but of course the headscarf for Sunday Mass had to be part of it.

Few days later I find Najwa clothed in a long black dress, her braids hidden under a headscarf, bowing down on her bathing towel in prayer.
It was equally moving to see the Sudanese kneeling on their beds and folding their hands in prayer before they went to sleep. The only possibility to get them out of their beds on Sunday morning was to promise them that the Mass would certainly be Catholic. Then they got up with enthusiasm.
 
POVERTY AND A LIVING FAITH

In a camp with children from difficult social backgrounds and different Arabic cultures, I would have expected much more eruptions of violence and improper behavior. Of course, there were often fights, but imagine 95 European or American kids in 4 dorms…
One of my most formative experiences was the resolving of a conflict between eleven-year-old Hanaa, who is physically and psychologically weak, and her Egyptian colleagues. Without a bad intention the girls had made a remark on her health, which caused a serious cough attack and an incessant stream of tears. I gathered the girls to discuss the issue. I let them analyze the situation on their own: "What do you think went wrong? And how do you want to behave with Hanaa in the future?" - "We talk to her and tell her that we're sorry. We try to reconcile with her. The best is not to talk about her health problems any more." I was surprised at the potentials that these almost illiterate girls have for non-violent resolving of conflicts. 
More than once the skills and experience of life of our two street children from Alexandria were useful. For example when it came to open a door of which the key was lost, or to follow a Sudanese runaway over the gate of the monastery to get hold of him and bring him back.

POVERTY, BUT UNEXPECTED ABILITIES

Eleven-year-old Vera from Jordan has probably never seen an African before. At home she sleeps in the same bed with her parents and siblings. In the camp she was to sleep between two Sudanese girls. The first night she broke out in tears: "I can't sleep here, I fear them!" Nine-year-old Aywin answered: "But why do you fear me?" Only a few days later a warm hug was part of the ritual before they went to bed.

On the day of departure Syrian and Sudanese, Libyan and Palestinian walked hand in hand to the bus, tears running down their cheeks.
Even me, I couldn't help crying when we arrived at Haggana, parents and brothers and sisters running to meet the singing and cheering kids. In their neighborhood Egyptian and Sudanese, Christians and Muslims live side by side. They don't share only poverty.

TRUE WEALTH IS WHEN DIFFERENCES MEET