Hands Along the Nile Development

Hands Along the Nile Development Services, Inc. (HANDS)

E-newsletter June 22, 2009

NEW GRANT ANNOUNCEMENT:

HANDS was recently awarded another grant from USAID/ASHA to further expand work on the Community Eye Care Center in Minya, Egypt. We would also like to thank all our donors who have been supporting this important project.

UPCOMING EVENTS:

Essay Contest Deadline

July 4, 2009

First prize: $5000, Second prize: $2500, Third prize: $1500, and two honorable mentions: $500

http://www.handsalongthenile.org/

Eco-Tour Insight Trip to Egypt
August 30-Sept. 12, 2009

Please see our website for more information on this trip

Culinary Tour Trip to Egypt

October 6-16, 2009
Register by July 31
Please see our website for more information on this trip

Connect with us: Join the HANDS community on Facebook by becoming a member of the Hands Along the Nile Development group. (Click on the icon below).

Introducing New Partner in Egypt: "Spirit of Youth"
HANDS is happy to announce a new partnership with the Cairo-based organization Spirit of Youth Association for Environmental Services. This organization assists working children (mainly boys) from garbage collectors’ communities in Moqattam. In this area, often called “garbage city,” families survive by collecting, sorting and recycling about 95% of Cairo's trash. About 80% of this work is done by hand. Children actively participate in this work, and most of them are forced to drop out of school in order to work full time, which virtually guarantees that they will remain in the cycle of poverty and marginalization for the rest of their lives. School Program Spirit of Youth offers literacy, math, and computer skills training to participating youth. Some children have the opportunity to reenter the mainstream school system by passing an exam provided by the center. Others return to the school after they graduate to become teachers for the next generations of boys. The school also offers recreational and creative activities such as art, theatre, and singing. The art program draws on lessons from the health and literacy programs. Boys create illustrated booklets on health hazards, which they take home to educate their families. Job-skills training Boys learn how to sort and safely recycle plastic shampoo bottles. They receive a small income every month from sending these back to the shampoo factories. Through the process, children are taught the principles of recycling and the importance of safety precautions such as suitable clothing, gloves, masks, etc. Children also learn about hazardous waste materials, such as those from hospitals; they are encouraged to share this information with their families so that the entire community can learn. These boys also speak to their peers in Cairo schools about garbage collection, the environment and recycling.	About 100 boys and 55 girls per year participate in the SOY school program. Students learn life skills in a classroom setting Children learn the importance of using safety equipment when operating recycling machines, such as this plastic shredder.
Film "Garbage Dreams" highlights lives of youth in Moqattam Filmmaker and native Egyptian Mai Iskander recently filmed a documentary revolving around the lives of three teenage boys working as garbage collectors outside Cairo. The film, called Garbage Dreams, follows the boys as they face challenges of life and the decline of their community's livelihood. "Garbage Dreams is an unflinching and honest portrayal" says a review by SXSW. If you would like to get a glipse into the real lives of Cairo's garbage collectors, take a look at this film. Check out the trailer and an interview with the director.

DONATE NOW AND MAKE A DIFFERENCE

Support School and Training Programs at Spirit of Youth to increase literacy, math and computer skills, activities, and job skills to break the cycle of poverty ($55/child)

A donation to be used where most needed to support our ongoing work in education, health care, and social services in the most marginalized Egyptian communities.

You can make a financial contribution to HANDS by cash, check or credit card payment. Please make checks payable to HANDS and mail them to:

Hands Along the Nile Development Services, Inc.
1601 N. Kent Street, Suite 1014
Arlington, VA 22209

By Phone: Please call our office at 703-875-9370 or 1-800-564-2544.

Online: You can donate through Network for Good by clicking here:

About HANDS

HANDS is an American organization working to develop partnerships between Americans and Egyptians to increase intercultural understanding and support community development in Egypt. To learn more about us, please visit our web site: http://www.handsalongthenile.org/. You received this email because your address is on our mailing list. If you do not wish to receive announcements from HANDS, please click on the link below to unsubscribe.