Ministry Of Eccentricity

 The Cries from

deep within

This is the staircase leading
up to their apartment

Many of the readers claim that my topics are all rather too global so I have decided to localize my topic for today. Globally, Poverty is defined as the state of one who lacks a certain amount of material possessions or money. Well, if we apply this concept where I come from, Egypt, nearly 80% of the people would be defined as poor. This is an interview that I conducted with a woman who stood every day in my neighborhood, Maadi, Cairo, begging…. You could see the misery in her small round eyes. Giving her a ten-pound note ($1.7) was more than enough to make her open up to me and allow me to interview her at her place in the deep slums of Cairo.

How are you today?

We (referring to her daughter and her self) are fine. Everything is okay and we are satisfied.

Are you happy in this house?

Yes, this one is much better than others in the neighborhood, but I hope we can move into a better house soon.

Is this where you live?

This is the WHOLE apartment!

Yes, we rent it for thirty five pounds a month. We couldn’t pay the rent last month because my husband was fired and we were thrown out but the neighbors helped us by paying the rent.

Do you have kids?

Yes, I have a one and only daughter called Malak (She says while pointing at her, a baby crawling around us).

Will you be providing her with education?

I hope we can. School tuition fees are too high nowadays. The family next door pays fifty bucks a year for their kid's education excluding books and uniform.

Are you planning on getting any more kids?

Of Course, My husband wouldn’t be satisfied unless with a dozen of kids.

Is your income satisfying?

(The woman sheds a tear) Of Course it isn’t. We can’t afford pampers for Malak. I haven’t eaten meat since last Eid (Muslim equivalent of Christmas). My daughter only has one dress and my husband works 12 hours a day for LE10.

Did your Husband receive university education?

No. He never went to school in the first place.

Does your husband work in a government job?

No, He used to work as a watch man in a luxurious building in Maadi (my neighborhood, an elite one) but they told him that they don’t need him anymore. He spent two month unemployed and we spent these two month living on money we harvested from begging but then he started earning a living by washing cars.

How much do you spend on food?

We spend a maximum of 120 pounds when the conditions are good and sometimes less than a hundred when my husband is going through trouble in work.

What is your daily diet?

We eat “foul” (beans) for break-fast, any kind of vegetable for lunch with no rice or meat and most of the time we can’t afford dinner.

How much do you need for an income to be satisfied?

I guess 800 pounds would be good enough.

Thank you. It has been a pleasure speaking to you.

This is the street they live in

You see how this simple woman of such poor origins suffers everyday. She merely dreams of an education for her kids and a house that wouldn't fall on her head while we drown ourselves in luxuries. A majority of families in Egypt, and even more in other places in Africa, face these terrible conditions. I think YOU should contribute, no matter where or who you are, there's always the choice to help a person in need and we MUST choose to take it.