Al-Shaheb

Christine POL 310
Internship-Al Shaheb



When our intro to development class was first told about interning with NGO’s in Egypt I was ecstatic. I had worked with an NGO that pushed sustainable development however, this was the first time I would be able to participate in an organization within my region of interest. The minimum of 35 hours seemed to be just enough time to understand the basic goals and workings of the organization, its purpose within the community and how it is perceived by those who are being assisted or encouraged to make a change within their communities.

Development Support Center is an organization that consults smaller NGO’s, look for donors, combine efforts between groups, host local awareness events, and supports the development projects and goals of these organizations. I was unaware that most of our group were only being briefed about NGO’s consulted by DSC that we would be working with. Many of the NGO’s we had to choose from dealt specifically with the youth, human rights, political justice, environmental protection, and access to information. After being given descriptions on what each organization was about, we were told to make our decision. Before, attending the meeting I knew that I wanted to do lots of field work within Egypt and at the same time get the behind the scene look at how an NGO functions. I also thought it would be important to see the certain possibilities within the Egyptian government as well as the limits in society that may be placed hinder the NGO from carrying out certain goals. With that, I chose Al Shaheb as the organization I would dedicate my time too. It was first described as an organization that involved a lot of field work in the slum areas around Cairo and one that held programs of awareness for refugees, women, children, and the unemployed. It was also mentioned that Al Shaheb was in the process of writing a proposal to the European Union. This seemed to be the perfect choice for me as my area of focus within Globalization Studies is social change and development. Assisting the marginalized peoples in Cairo is definitely a way to help remove the structural burden society has placed on the “have nots”.

After being put in contact with Abdou, a graduate student and community organizer at Al Shaheb, my partner and I set up a meeting time at the central office just outside of Nasr City, Cairo. We met with him at the office after hours and he seemed excited to have us on board and eager to answer any questions we may have had about Al-Shaheb. We were told that it was officially registered as an institution in Egypt in 2002 although efforts to develop areas in Cairo had already been in progress. He informed us that there are over 76 slums in Cairo however; Al-Shaheb works mainly in Ezbet El-Haggana, a slum area near Cairo’s airport. There are about 1 million people living in this particular area many of whom are refugees from countries like Sudan, Palestine etc. This came as a shock to me as I originally thought the NGO only headed small projects that dealt with a smaller population. However the need in this area is so great that Basic services such as healthcare are not available in Ezbet El-Haggana as there is only one clinic and the facility is inadequate for a population of this number.

It has been Al-Shaheb’s goal has developed a number of programs and services that encourage involvement from the actual residents and members of society. They strive for this by promoting “decentralization in the decision making, transparency, team work and the spirit of volunteerism Their vision as an organization is to promote democracy and ones access to their rights as citizens and as individuals. According to the official website, “empowering people to own their tools in order to achieve social justice and….providing a development model through implementing projects that tackle the local community needs” is another objective of Al-Shaheb. To effectively accomplish the development of this community, Al-Shaheb does not discriminate against race, religion or sex which results in a diverse group of people working for one common goal.

In our brief meeting, Abdou pointed out the major goals that are currently being headed by Al-Shaheb. The first one is based around protecting people’s rights to housing. This includes contacting the water authority and sanitation department to figure out ways in which these corporations will fairly allocate these resources and services to the area. This involves a lot of input and effort on the people’s behalf to raise funds and awareness to work with these businesses who have no desire to work with Ezbet El Haggana. In recent years the NGO helped to file a class action suit against the government of Egypt for neglecting these individuals. Although they were successful with the sanitation company in getting garbage pick-up in the area, they were not successful with the water authority which happens to be in the process of becoming a private entity. Al-Shaheb was able to hire lawyers and organize committees in which positions were given to both women and men.

The second goal involves the empowerment of marginalized groups. This includes the youth, poor, women and refugees. Under this objective moves are being made to provide programs which give people skills allowing them to have a steady income. An example of such a program is the start of women coop in which women sell products make within small groups (ex: necklaces, bags etc). Al-Shaheb has also worked on helping over 6,500 individuals attain legal documents such as an identification card , and birth certificate allowing them to find jobs and become aware of the their rights as citizens. A directory has also been created, allowing refugees in Ezbet El Haggana to have access to contact information for important government offices, embassies and more.

Another important part of this goal is the preventative measures being taken to reduce the number of domestic violence incidents in the community. An interesting part of this program is the initiative the NGO has made to not only help women in this aspect but to have discussion with men about their actions toward the victims. They also train smaller NGO’s on how to go about handling a sensitive topic such as domestic violence. HIV awareness is another taboo topic that the NGO tackles. Information sessions are held to teach prostitutes about safe sex and the risks of being a sex worker. They also introduce other money-making opportunities available for those who do not wish to continue on this path. Over 2,400 sex workers have been helped so far.

Working with the youth and children in the area is another goal of Al-Shaheb. They advocate for the right of every child to have an education, to enhance the capacity of teachers (showing them other methods of teaching such as visual rather than oral) and informal ways of teaching using art and music. Hosting round table discussion on issues between refugees and Egyptians in order to squash the violence and discrimination that is so often seen between the two groups. Summer camps are held to promote friendship and understanding between the two groups.

My first impression of Al-Shaheb was their dedication to Ezbet El Haggana and the number of programs they have to reach the people. I surprised to see the things that this NGO takes on such as violence with women, and prostitution and refugees and also grateful for the opportunities they offer to help these individuals lead more stable lives. While working here I hope to assist Al-Shaheb in the writing of a proposal to the EU. In our first meeting it was not clear as to exactly what the proposal is focus on however, using my knowledge of the English language will be beneficial to the application process. I am also interested in possibly hosting information sessions with the local police on domestic violence and how they can become more involved with the victims and sesative to this issue. Although I am not sure this will be successful, I believe it will be worth a try. I have a passion for this issue and work with these victims in the states. I see the difficulties they have within the legal system and believe changes can be made within this area in any society. I am happy I have chosen Al-Shaheb and I am sure I will gain an unforgettable experience and be an asset to this organization.