These ladies are part of the nursing staff at one of Cairo's hospitals. Medical staff here in Egypt do not make that much money. It is not unusual for them to ask you to buy foul, tamea and some salad for breakfast. The problem is not buying this group breakfast, as the cost was probably no more than $1.50. The problem is that as soon as you leave your home, you have someone on the street asking you to give them money, the garage attendant has a sad story, you sit in traffic and people come to your window to ask for money, you drive up to your destination and the person at the gate, door, parking attendant..needs some money. You go inside the building and it is the same thing. I read a newspaper article last week on inflation in Egypt. In 2006, the average cost of goods increased 160%. That includes, bread, milk, fruits, vegetables, etc. The article also mentioned that in the past 14 years, cost had only risen 50%. I knew my household expenses had increased, and that my one frivolous expense of getting a manicure and pedicure twice a month had increased 25 LE per visit. I have since decided to whittle that down to once per month. I cannot pay 160 LE a month for a manicure and pedicure, when most Egyptians make this as a salary for the month. I am not one that spends a lot of time pampering herself, or spending money in a foolish, silly manner, but if I can feel the impact on my personal expenses, I can only imagine how the average Egyptian must suffer. The same newspaper article had statistics for malnutrition, children suffering from anemia, and the stats on those living in squalor. The numbers are overwhelming and sad. I love Egypt, but I do feel sad when I think about her future. I sat down with my husband the other day and we averaged out how much we "could" spend on daily handouts for all the poor on the street, at work, in transit, etc that approached us on the street. Together we could spend 1, 500 LE a month on daily handouts. That is more than my husbands salary at the hospital, and more than I allocate for my personal and household expenses for a month. I don't know what the answer is for the vast socioeconomic problems that we have here in Egypt. My solution is to take care of those in my neighborhood, my workplace, my building, and my home. I never throw food away, I pass out clothing when possible, and I try to do what I can for those around me. I think if every home in Egypt did the same thing, it may make our lives a bit better. I keep reminding myself that things could be worse, that some people live in more difficult circumstances. Many times I get tired of the begging, and I give them some tough, harsh words. I then feel guilty..it is a vicious cycle. I think this is one of the reasons why I love living here so much, everything in this country is tangible. You "feel" your life everyday here in Egypt. Maybe not always in beauty and harmony, excitement and adventure, but in the end it is all tangible.

Until next time,

A Woman of Egypt

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