First Impressions - Susan Park

Even in our state of fatigue from the long flight, we were nonetheless struck by our initial experiences in Cairo. The second day we arrived, we visited our main local partner St. Andrews, a church that provides education and aid for the refugees from various African countries. During the whole cab ride there, I felt the full brunt of the unbreathable air, heat and traffic. In fact, my initial thought upon seeing St. Andrews was how anyone could study right in the middle of traffic and noise. Moreover, my image of a wealthy church providing charity was shattered by a small humble one.
Despite these first impressions however, as soon as I stepped through the threshold of the gate, my thoughts transformed into awe. Some of the refugee children were playing soccer together, as gleefully as any child in the United States. It was evident that the noise, the heat, and the pollution were not on their minds and these things I had immediately noticed as a foreigner would not hinder them from seeking education. Furthermore, I was amazed at the courage and love St. Andrews must have in order to continue the children and adult education program, the legal office, or even something rather mundane like meals. Such operations rivaled those offered by wealthy churches in the United States. It was humbling to realize that a community need not be huge nor rich to make an impact on others.
As the Dukeengage members stood and waited, some smiling children shyly came up and offered a "hello" and a handshake. They were beautiful and seemed happy but during orientation, the Dukeengage members learned that many of these children are unaccompanied minors and settled in Cairo alone. Some of them lived in groups together but the refugee treatment by Egyptians are not favorable. Therefore, education and job opportunities are limited, making living difficult for the refugees. Learning all this during orientation renewed my conviction to instill in the refugee children an enthusiasm for learning and a hope to seek further education.
During the teacher training, I was further encouraged by my group members who also displayed enthusiasm for teaching through creating model lesson plans. As we prepare for our classes next week, I hope that our group members will display an open attitude that exemplifies that we ourselves value and willingly seek education. Moreover, we hope to get to know our students on a deeper level in order to understand their background and their culture. So far, we are somewhat burdened by the task ahead of us but we will continue to be optimistic!