I can’t believe now that there's a rhythmic pattern to our days and work routine, we only have four weeks left. Time is going by so fast! Monday-Thursday we all go to St. Andrews to teach. I’ve gotten so used to walking to the metro station on those mornings, arriving at St. Andrews, and entering our classroom. Our classroom has undergone so many changes- the walls were painted a pastel purple, the floor has been cleaned, there’s a working AC, and we have a whiteboard. It really has a homey feel to it. Even my relationship with the students has changed. They are more than just students that we teach; they’ve become friends that I care about dearly. I'm really enjoying everything and learning so much along the road. Though it seems sort of cliche admitting that this experience is changing me, it really is. Working with the children at St. Andrews has been eye-opening in so many ways. I've never met children that are so eager to learn and interact with us. I've worked with different students within the program, but the past two weeks I’ve worked closely with a girl named Meron, from Ethiopia. Meron attends the summer program at St. Andrews with her older brother, and they both live with their mom in Cairo. According to Meron, her mother works for a "rich Madame" by cleaning her house. Meron and her brother seem to be a bit more well-off than the other students, but this is based solely on clothes and overall appearance. It amazes me how dedicated Meron is to her studies. I've tutored students in the United States, but I haven't found the same level of dedication and excitement that the children at St. Andrews express. It has made me realize how I’ve almost taken my education for granted. Even though I’ve always been serious about my school work and I take pride in my work, I’ve still complained about having too much homework or having to wake up early in order to go to class. These students are at St. Andrews by 9 am, and they are ready for us to give them as much information as possible. Not only that, but for some of the students, the trip over to St. Andrews involves a long metro ride, a bus ride, and some walking.
Everyday that we teach, we break for a 45 minute lunch break. Yesterday, at the start of this break, I took the time to speak with Meron and ask her a few questions about how she came to Egypt. Keep in mind Meron is only in elementary 1, so she still has limited vocabulary. From what I gathered, it was for “political reasons.” She kept saying the “political case” caused them to come here. She mentioned that her brother, Abel, who is also in our program, was arrested and imprisoned. That was extremely shocking- Abel is the most advanced English speaker in our program and by far one of the most well-mannered kids I’ve ever met. Once he was released, they all packed their things and came to Egypt. It amazed me that while she was sharing this story, she was able to keep a calm face and still managed to smile at the end of the story. Meron never feels discouraged, and that’s something I love and admire about her. Often times I think about the misfortunate realities facing refugees in Egypt and how these children still wear the biggest smiles on their faces when they are with us. I’ve spoken with Egyptians that complain about the refugees and even make derogatory comments. For some Egyptians, the refugees are seen as a burden- Cairo is already crowded, we don’t need more people. It’s unfortunate because while Cairo is indeed crowded, where are these refugees to go? The children we work with would love to able to be in their native countries, but that isn’t an option for them. It’s sad that they are forced to leave their homes, in many cases without any family members, and arrive in Egypt only to feel un-welcomed. I don’t want to generalize because from what I’ve personally seen, Egyptians are kind towards refugees. However, my Egyptian friend told me that when Sudanese refugees first started arriving in Egypt, they were met by mobs of people that beat them and drove them out.
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