the village people

naveed and i went to a village called shabramand about 2 hours from cairo. we went with some People who volunteer their time to help the villagers with what they need. for example, they collect money to build water pumps, simple homes, a mosque, etc. and set up projects to help villagers become self sufficient. naveed and i wanted to check out the village to donate money for something useful before we left egypt.

there’s a stark difference between the city and the village/countryside. the village definitely has a lot more greenery. lots and lots of trees, and acres of farmland....corn, wheat, sugar cane and cotton. it was soothing to the eye and peaceful to the soul....something about the color green that makes you feel like that.

anyway, a branch of the nile river runs through it and is used for pretty much everything. i mean, it didn’t matter that a donkey was crapping in the water...boys were still swimming and people were taking baths in the very same water....alongside the animals crapping! unfortunately, it’s also used as a dumpster. tons and tons of garbage.


the people in the village are very warm and friendly. everyone says salaam to everyone else walking down the street or even in the car. it makes you feel like everyone is family. and the kids are oh so cute!


we made several stops to assess the needs of the village:

the village mosque does not have speakers for friday khutba and curtains for the women’s side.

a woman who has 4 children doesn’t have a 4 walled house. her ‘house’ literally has 2 walls and not even a complete ceiling to cover it completely.


we tested out a few water pumps that were recently built. many times, the water came out muddy meaning it wasn’t dug deep enough. despite the water being dirty, some of the locals started drinking from it. funds are needed to dig deeper for cleaner water.


another woman has a child who is paralyzed in both legs and the doctor told her the medical treatment required was something she could not afford.

the village doesn’t have a hospital. there is a pharmacist who collects unused medicine from sick patients who’ve become healthy and then he redistributes it to those who may need it but can’t afford it.

we were standing in front of a dilapidated building. i thought it was abandoned but then realized it housed the village clinic! the walls were unpainted and falling apart, and the stairs were crumbling...there was so much dirt and garbage on the floor. i felt like i was in an insane asylum from a black and white film. the ‘operating room’ was so small and ancient. the instruments and sinks had so much rust on it. the bathrooms were stained and filthy. even if someone were to have an operation there, they would probably die from infections afterwards. we asked if there was anything the clinic needed but the doctor seemed content with what he had.

there is this family of 4 orphans (ages 20, 18, and two kids) who had lived in a one room rented place for 9 months without paying the rent and were then kicked out by the landlord. so the People found an abandoned building in the village, cleaned it up and now the 4 orphans live there. but they don’t have any means to support themselves so the People want to start a project with them and teach them to take care of chickens and sheep, etc. funds are needed to start this project and also to fix up their decrepit house.


the People also have a place where they store donated clothing, shoes, furniture, etc. and distribute them to the poor.

at the end of the day, naveed and i were exhausted and sad to see the conditions some people lived in. alhamdulillah, it made us feel grateful for what we have and ashamed of the little things we complain about. we plan on going back after we have collected some money, insha’Allah. if anyone would like to donate money to help, please let me know. if enough people are interested, i’ll post up a contact.