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Global Urban Trek 2008
Forsaken PlacesJuly 11, 2008
The houses in Mokattam are large four-story apartment-like structures made out of brick.
Some have front doors, some do not. The first level is inevitably filled with trash and flies everywhere. Up the stairs are separate apartments for all the family: father, mother, unmarried daughters, and brothers with wives. Usually the living spaces are nicer than the first floor, but that's only if the family is well off.
Our friend Mousa's third floor is all concrete and dirty. We saw the garlic that the family buys in Cairo and sells here, and the loom that his sister-in-law uses to generate a little income selling rugs. She graduated from the weaving program at APE, one of our ministry sites. It was started 20 years ago and has made a major impact empowering women. Graduates receive a loom and pay for it with rug income.
The Mokattam residents were originally from Upper Egypt. Farmers who had bad crops came to the city and became Zabbaleen in the 50s. But as Cairo expanded, the Zabbaleen were evicted repeatedly from their homes. Finally the government gave them this desolate place called Mokattam on the outskirts.
One resident described it as a "God-forsaken place." They had to walk four hours or more just to get water. But with the Zabbaleens’ resourcefulness, and development projects like APE, Mokatttam has seen miraculous growth. In the 70s, the church of St. Simon was a tin shack. Now it's a cave carved into a rock that seats around 10,000 people.
Even so, we frequently run into people who want to leave. Our friend Ayoub lives on the first floor of a filthy living space. His brother has been building his own apartment with his savings on the second floor. It is very nice, with painted walls, hand-carved furniture and a toilet. We hung out there and played cards.
Ayoub took me up to the top floor filled with garbage. He said he really wanted to build his own apartment here like his brother. He works as a zebal by night and a teacher at APE but still there's not enough money. He asked me to bring him to America or send him money. I said I'd write.
What can we really do to help? I have faith in the simple act of relationship. Love is more valuable than any commodity we have to give. Love brings hope, and hope gives us strength to get up and go. It is by the grace of God that we know what love is, and who Love is.
We pour out our hearts to Him in prayer for the people here as we teach English and help the handicapped. It is a fragrant offering of worship that you – our family – can join in with us, supplicating the throne of God on High. Together, we find solace in our Lord who hears our cries and brings us peace.
-Tim
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