Leprosy - Part 2

Note before reading:
When i began to write this, i had in mind to share my experience but while writing, i just kept going from one subject to another. i'll try to arrange all in points. also i didn't think i'll write all that, so i hope u'll have enough patience to read it till the end :).

How it all began with me?
first time i went, it was in 2002. my brother (at that time still at school), with a group of friends, volunteered with caritas. there were different groups of volunteers, each with different volunteer work or task, and they choose that, going to abou zaabal with a group from belgium.

Who are the belgium group?
every year, for about more than 10 years, a group of about 15 volunteers come to egypt in july to work in abou zaabal. the association behind this is called Fondation Damien. this foundation is to fight against leprosy and tuberculose and help the countries in development. (i'll write later about this foundation).

Information about the place:
it is situated in abou zaabal in the Qalyoubeya governorat. it takes about an hour to go there from cairo.
the facility includes: 3 different locations, in the U form. the central (main) is in the base (for men), one for the men and the 3rd for the women.
the ministry of health supervises it, there r nurses working there and sisters (nons) also supervising the place, they go and return every day.
in each of the locations, there are either rooms, for 2 or 3 persons or big chamber, dormitory, with beds (3anbar or dortoir).
also outside this place, there's a center for kids younger than age of school (3-6 years old) and it is run by Caritas. and in this center, there's also lessons for girls (older) to learn trico and sewing and to learn reading and writing.

What we do there?
the belge group, most of them are studying nursing or medicine, they go to the people and help the nurses there. at the same time, every year there's a paiting project. this year we painted a dormitory (ceiling and walls). one year, last year, we painted 2 rooms of external clinics, the year before classes at the center, and the year before the walls of this center.
also for 2 days during the working period, we make some animations for the children: for example this year, teaching them how to brush their teeths, wash their face and hair, or doing some games.. it depends.

My experience:
well i guess now that you have a brief overview about the location, it will be easier to follow up.
the first time i went, i was a little afraid as anyone does when he faces a new thing, but not cos of the people there or the desease (though i didn't know much about the details).
anyway i was surprised, how the people there treat the belge, and how the belge treat them. i mean it is not their country, they pay for this to come and serve, i was really touched and impressed. they give them hugs and kisses, it was first strange for me to do that, but i get used to it and this grew from year to year, i feel that i like it and enjoy my time, the people there remembers me, sometimes they forget my name, but they remember me.
people there are simple people, rejected by the society. sometimes u can hear them shouting and fighting, but i guess this is normal between neighbours and deep inside they love each other.
they like when foreigners come, they feel that someone cares about them, that they leave everything to come for them.
as for the children in the center, they love it. they are very excited especially when someone takes their photo, they shout with the flash.
i can't describe all my feelings, but i learned a lot from there and i appreciate every moment i passed, the friendships i made, the people i met and i wish i can participate again.

that's all i can say now.. i'll try to post later about small things that happened and that touched me somehow.
thanks for ur patience.

Invitation

starting from thursday 28/07, in the garden of el sakkia (in zamalek), u can leave anything to express ur feelings about what happened in sharm el sheikh and about terrorism. just put anything u want, a picture, a draw, a candle, flowers...

for more information:
http://africano.blogspot.com/2005/07/blog-post_26.html

for photos:
http://digressing.blogspot.com/
http://marianneayad-focus.blogspot.com

Leprosy - Part 1

The last week i was volunteering at abou zaabal, at the leprosy, as i have been doing in summer for the last 3 years.
i'll try to talk more about the place, and things related to all that but as i am really busy, i'll try to post whenever i can.

Here is the first article, about the desease itself. i'm not a doctor, i don't understand all the technical words, so i'll simplify it as much as i can. Excuse me if i'm not getting into much details or if there r some mistakes (but u have to tell me about them)

Although leprosy was well known since old time, the bacteria causing it, Mycobacterium leprae, was discovered in 1873 by Gerhard A. Hansen (1841-1912). it comes from the greek word "lepros".

The symptoms of this disease:

• loss of sensation at the nerve end
• destroyed blood vessels, ligaments and skin tissues
• eroded bones
• sores
• ulcers
• scabs ( i don't know what this means so don't ask me, ask professionals)

Leprosy is neither hereditary nor infected by touch.
Close contact over a long period of time with an untreated person is needed in order to be infected with the disease. (the place i go, in abou zaabal, all people are already treated, i'll talk about there later in following posts).
and finally, leprosy can be cured.

sources:
http://www.tipsofallsorts.com/leprosy.html
http://www2.kenyon.edu/Projects/Margin/lepers.htm
http://www.pitt.edu/~super1/lecture/lec10641/

crazy world

i can't think of something to say now. it is just that i wish that people can understand that there are other solutions than violence. what's wrong with people? can't we live in peace?

Irak

Today, my uncle and cousin arrived to Egypt. Of course i was happy to see them again but at the same time, hearing stories make me feel so sad.
i just want to tell u, that things are worse and worse then last september, that things are not as in TV.
here r some stories, the trend now is that gangs buy hostage from other gangs, a way to invest. here's a sad true story. one guy was kidnapped and they asked for 100,000 dollars. his family sold everything, house, car, all to get the money. they gave them money but he didn't return so they contacted them. another gang told them, they bought him from the old gang and they want money, at least the capitol. they couldn't pay anything, so the gang left the head of the guy in the garden of the house.
all the bright and smart people had left iraq so the people left, and governing of course, are not qualified at all.
a very big hospital, like the el kasr el einy in egypt, only 6 doctors in one speciality instead of 50.
another horrible story, the neighbour of my uncle was arrested by police, they said suspect of being a terrorist. he was really tortured badly, i won't say how. but after all that, still not confessing (he was innocent of course) , and they decided to kill him with a bullet in the head and drop him somewhere the following morning, but they got a picture by mobile of the real wanted person, so they left him at the end.
u can see parts of bodies when u walk on the street.
the temperature is 50 degrees, no electricity a lot of time during the day so now way to have air condition or even fans.

all that make me realize, that i'm blessed to live in egypt. i know that many don't agree, but just try to imagine what if... i don't want to add something more. i just wanted to let u know what happens really there and also that we don't appreciate sometimes what we have.

New BLOG

Helloz,
first, thanks for keeping visiting my blog though i don't post this much these days, i can't find time though i have a lot to say.
here is finally a blog Faces & Places for the pics i take as a friend has suggested, few months ago.

recapitulation

i know i didn't write for a long time, so i want to make it up, i guess u'll hear me a lot from now on so i hope u won't be bored.

first, for those who don't know the word, recapitulation in music means some notes (some bars) linking to the beginning again which is repeated.
i think that i need to do this with my life, to recap every thing. i have got a lot and a lot to say, but don't find the words or should i say, can't get it clear.

i have been working for a month in the graduation project with my friend. i should say that we had some good moments, but also some bad moments but at last we did what we could do and thank god, we had an excellent.
what makes me a little sad, is not that i'll leave university but cos i'll leave my friends. i know this is life, but it is hard to think that one of my best friends from school will be far away. i know we didn't meet much lately, though we are in the same faculty, but i always knew that whenever i needed her, she's there and now i can't just imagine that she'll be not here for at least a year.
also another friend, that i gained from the univ, will travel soon and don't know when she'll be back, and another one travelled already but i'll meet her next month.
i'm sad cos i know that too many friends, too many people i won't be able to see, cos everyone will take his own path.
myself, i'll start a job in september, insha2alla, and i'll be mainly travelling. i'm excited about it but also i know that it will be hard sometimes, to leave everybody. i just don't realize it yet.
and next month, i'll be travelling, getting my last vacation probably before work.
sometimes i wonder what will be the future, what will i do. i want to do million things, now that i'm free and have time but i'm afraid to face the reality that i won't be able to do everything cos of life. like having million dreams but u just know that u just can achieve one only. anyway, i think this is too soon to think of now. i think all will be clear once i'm settled in my life.

this week, i'm working in abou za3bal, at the leprosy with a belgium group. this is my 4th year. i think i discovered why i do it. i just fell in love with the place and the people. although this year, i couldn't catch the 1st week of work cos of the project, i'm happy that i'm going this week.
i'll post later about the place and the people, about the work we do.

baya3 el foul

i took this photo this morning, going to abou za3bal at early morning.

Nice Word

Today, i was in the CTA (it seems that all the stories i talk about occur in the CTA). The driver was a really cheerful man. When on the road, we passed by 2 people talking very loud in the street (small accident). The driver when passing beside them said, it is nothing, just go on, but one of the men said come and see urself. so, the driver stopped and went to make peace between them and he succeeded. When he came back to the CTA he said, this is the nice word.
I was really impressed by this simple guy. It wasn't his job but yet, he took from his time to make something good for people and to spread the Nice Word as he said.

Make Poverty History

Today, 8 concerts in different countries Live to get the attention of the world, especially the leaders of the big countries about Africa. These concerts are not for collecting money, they are for free, but to deliver a message, a cry for help for the most needed countries. It is time to stop this, it is a pity that the rich countries always gain more and the poor countries are more and more in debts. It is a pity what the world had arrived to this extent, it is time to take an action.
http://www.live8live.com/
http://www.makepovertyhistory.org/extras/live8.shtml

I wanted to post this cos i think it is a positive thing that many people around the world are trying to do and it really touched me and if i share it with people, they'll share it with others and the message continue to run.
sometimes we can't make big things but we can begin with little things and look to the people that need the most our help in our country. i am sure that a lot of u already don't need to hear that cos u already doing it, so i'm giving u a big sheer and my encouragements :)

Efficient way to reconcile with urself

Yesterday, i was alone all day. I wasn't feeling that great so i decided to do something different and i think it worked out very well.
Sometimes we need to take a break from life, as if stopping the time and just be with ourselves and know what we need or what we think. Maybe after reading this u'll think i'm crazy, i don't care and i think if u try this, u'll feel better (well at least i did).
so i think by now u r curious about what i did... :)

okay, it really simple, all i did is, while being alone in the room, just talking to myself, saying what makes me angry, what i think, what i feel, my doubts, anything that crossed my mind at that moment. i already knew all that, but it is different when saying it then when just thinking about it.