Draw a Smile

A day in the life of a DaS street child

2011-06-23T06:55:00.001-07:00

Below is an account of my time at the Madinty Salam street center for whom I am conducting research for on DaS's behalf. 19/06/2011

10:00 am:

Arrived at the centre and was met by the project manager Mr Mohamed Sammi. Signed the Face 'Code of Conduct' with regards to treating the children in the center (all usual preliminaries)
Introduced myself to the children one by one and was met with a sea of hands to be shaked. Some of them were curious, some were shy, most of them practiced their English 'Welcome to Egypt'

10:30 am:

As the children sat for breakfast I was given the tour of the building. Nothing had changed from last year, meaning noting had been left 'un-kept' either. The same murals laid on the walls, the 'child friendly' schooling rooms looked used as they should do and I was happy to see some new arts and crafts in the 'creative room' lining the walls and shelves.

11:00 am:

I was taken for a tour of the top two levels which housed the transitional home. Each floor comprised of around 4 rooms containing 2 sets of bunk-beds each and a 'rec' space at the end of the corridor. There are just 9 inhabitants currently residing at the Transitional Home each of whom had their parents sign official documents agreeing to allow that to be their permanent residence.

The last resort is for a family to completely deny their child a place to stay and Face do all that they can to keep healthy communication between children and their families. Despite for the obvious reasons I can't help wish that more of these destitute families would sign their children over. A lot of families claim rights to their children without being willing or able to offer the appropriate care and by appropriate I mean encouraging their schooling, making sure they are well fed, and supplying them with affection. The basic needs.

When looking at the reading area I was told that the small books that laid on the shelf were instructional illustrated books with Islamic invocations for how to wash and what to say in the morning, before you eat lunch etc. I inquired as to whether there were any books similar to facilitate for the christian children. However, the street center had yet to welcome any christian children due to the fact that the churches in Egypt had a much tighter community and usually managed to prevent any family issues before they rose to the point of children finding themselves un-cared for, should the worst come into play within the Christian communities in Egypt the churches offer the asme level of care. I wondered to myself how a country that was predominantly muslim failed as an Ummah/community to prevent the family breaks as the church communities do here. Although I was reminded that the percentage of Christian Egyptians in comparison to the muslim percentile was greatly smaller in size, there fore making things a lot more manageable for the smaller percentage of the nation.

11:30 am:

Free time, I drifted between the roof watching a game of football between them, and got thrashed at domino's down stairs and didn't dare to be challenged at ping pong. I noticed that a lot of the children seemed to be missing and it was explained to me that a few of them took the opportunity at this time to take a nap.

One of the children, Abdel Rahman-14yrs, explained that he, like a lot of the others took the opportunity to nap at this time being that a lot of them worked through the night. He himself was about to take a nap after a long night on the 'corneish' (river side) cooking and selling cobs of corn. Another of them worked on the 'micro busses' gathering passengers at stations.

12:30 pm:

I joined the children in the creativity room and was showered with portraits of me presented as gifts. In return I taught them how to make a chatter-box which went down a treat! and resulted in a beautiful rendition of a famous egyptian folk song by Khaled aged 9.

Whilst sitting with a group of the children in this room one of them asked me: 'are there kids like us on the streets in London', yes I told them but the circumstances are different. 'Is there one like me' asked another, 'No' I exclaimed 'there could never be another one as special as you!', to which they all laughed and found it more as sarcasm then kind words.

01:30 pm:

As much as I wanted to stay with this group I left and drifted on into a 'child friendly schooling' lesson.

The teacher was teaching 4 of the children simple addition of numbers up to 10, she explained to me that the over zealous little boy named Magdi had managed to pass the entry exam into school last year and was simply there to show off his skills to the other children. She let him stay as a form of encouragement to the others who like Magdi a year ago, were being brought up to speed educationally in the hope that they could be re-integrated into the national schooling system with Face's support.

02:30 pm:

Lunch Time!! aside from the smiles and enthusiasm the scene almost resembled that from the story 'Oliver'. I found a place in between them and sat patiently as the trays filled with 'chips, chakhchouka (an egg based dish), salad, bread and Melon' were being handed out. The food typical to an Egyptian breakfast/lunch was just what the doctor ordered for me and the rest, although 1 serving had me unbuttoning the jeans, almost all of the children raised their hands for seconds and thirds!

03:00 pm:

Experiments in Science.. We all sat in a circle on benches in a usual area for group activities as one of the social workers grabbed our attention with a fork, a racket and some string.

An educational group from France had trained the social workers in explaining simple science through fun and interactive ways. As I sat there and wrapped the string around my fingers which were put into my ears as a fork was suspended in between them, it was explained how earphones work and the different methods of sound traveling. This was great to see everyone participated and enjoyed it without even realizing that they were being given a science lesson as well as a lesson in patience and waiting your turn lol.

03:30pm:

Free-Time...As the older children took literacy lessons I felt it best to leave them to it so as not to distract them. Instead I gave it another shot at domino's and almost won! lol

04:00pm:

Sadly it was time to go for me, I waved goodbye happy with achieving their trust hoping to return soon.

Jessi Walker,

DaS manager.

Unicef report

2011-06-21T01:55:00.000-07:00

A new approach to Egypt’s street children

CAIRO, Egypt - Among the swirling crowds of Cairo, one hardly notices the small figures of children who call the streets their home. Adel is one of them. He left home at nine to escape a life of misery and violence.

1 small step for Jessi 1 big step for DaS, 1 huge step for Egypt.

2011-06-21T01:11:00.000-07:00

As some of you may already know, DaS's resources for reaching orphaned and street children in Egypt are primarily through our peer's; Face. They are an experienced body with 3 well kept and cared for orphanages in the areas Hegazy, Maadi and Banha as well as a 'drop-in-center' and 'transitional home' in Madinty Salam for vulnerable young people who have otherwise found themselves on the street.

Extensive research went into finding a suitable peer for DaS to work with alongside our own team in Cairo and I'm so thankful that we found that in 'Face'. Myself and others including Mo Negm from our media team and our founder Ahmed Ali were blown away by the level of care all establishments provided. The structure was impeccable and 'Face' had literally thought of an facilitated for everything imaginable. I have been in Egypt for just over 2 weeks now and will be here for another 3.5 months. This gives me the great pleasure to conduct extensive research into possible future vocational training for the street children of the older age bracket. Draw a smile recognizes that whilst it is not an ideal for young adults to be out of education and working full time it is still a reality that we must face in the process of fixing it.

We want to broaden the horizons for all street children enabling them to have brighter prospects from the possibility's that face them currently. Why shouldn't there be equal opportunities for all young people regardless to their private situations or social class? Face have tried to implement such a task and currently have 2 of the children (young adults) with placements in car mechanics. Unfortunately (as Face are aware) they have found that in most cases the garages have used the children merely as cheap labor without teaching any sufficient skills in the field of car mechanics. It is my goal to eradicate these issues and make sufficient partnerships with local businesses to cater to the aspirations and needs of the children in mention.

Please stay tuned to follow my journey with the children, the Egyptian authorities, and facing the hardest task of all....changing the mentality of many Egyptians in concern with the stigma of being 'a street child'.

Zoom Zoooooom

2011-06-06T11:33:00.000-07:00

'Draw a Smile' charity organisation would like to invite you all to take part in its social event of GoKarting and Laser-quest (Sunday 19/06/2011 @ 5.30pm).

2 sessions of Karting and 3 sessions of Laser-quest for ONLY £30...A summer outing for all the boys and gilrs out there... its simply a night to enjoy and remember there with your mates.

Remember its a CHARITY event raising money for Orphans in developing countries, so come ENJOY your time and DRAW A SMILE on an Orphan's face.

Tickets are already on sale now, so book your ticket NOW to avoid disappointment... by Contacting: Abdelrahman Rizk on 07950474862 or Ahmad Larsson 07766330553 or Mostafa Rizk on 07939309389... Hope to see u all there :) :)

The place is "ScotKart" Indoor Karting centre, its 10mins drive from Glasgow city centre, starting at 5.30pm. Also you can get picked up from Glasgow city centre at 5pm if u dont have transport, so mention that when booking you ticket.

Styles like Messi?

2011-06-04T02:45:00.000-07:00

For those of you who haven't already heard...

Grab a team! Pack a kit! and more importantly......Get in shape!

On Saturday 11th from our fabulous Glaswegian team are hosting their 3rd charity football tournament at the Powerleague Townhead in Glasgow city centre. Kick off is at 6pm.

All teams must register their places as soon as possible and can do so by contacting: Abdelrahman Rizk on 07950474862 or Ahmad Larsson 07766330553 or Mostafa Rizk on 07939309389

A new dawn

2011-05-25T03:51:00.000-07:00

O.K!

I am so sorry, really, I am. My reporting skills have gathered dust as I struggled to survive the death that is exam period :s

With all that being said I am glad to be back and have loooooaaaaadsss to tell you all.

Draw a Smile has been its usual busy-self and you wouldn't want to miss out. There certainly is something for everyone to get involved on and we are heading our biggest mission to date: to raise: £1 million (too many 0's for me to write) by 2012 Olympics. To kick off the campaign DaS are in the middle of preparing for the biggest Arab collaborative charity concert that London has ever seen.

We are also putting a new project in Egypt into the pipeline of a half-way house apprenticeship scheme. Not forgetting the charity Gala Dinner for DaS/Face (see post on page 'What we have been up to') in London.

With all these new projects under-way and in the realistic pipe-line who wouldn't want to be a part of DaS. Employment is at an all time low as Britain climbs up from the recession and the mass-redundancies as result. How easy is it to get the experience of being a project manager on a £75,000 project or a creative director liaising with professional social-workers, behavioral psychologists, and doctors in Egypt all working for the cause that you have made possible? Do not miss your once in a life-time opportunity! Trust me! you need to jump on this Gravy train instead of reading your news paper as it leaves the station.

Brand New and Exclusive!!!

2011-04-07T04:05:00.000-07:00

Here at the Draw a Smile blog we like to reveal the hottest news and updates before anyone else! and we certainly won't fail to please this time....

As some of you may already know, DaS has been conducting a shake up of the whole organisation and with arduous dedication from our media team the website has indeed been included!

Some of the new features include;

* A brand new Draw a Smile shop catering to all your charitable boutique needs; Featuring our recycle friendly Egyptian hand made bags, that give jobs to woman currently in difficult situations as well as all proceeds, of course, going to the children and many more 'must-have' items!!

* A mobile friendly version so that you and your smart phone never miss out!

* A fun, friendly, new design reflecting our personality as an organisation onto our new media outlets.

* And much much more check it out for yourself, we would love to hear of any additional ideas that you feel were currently missing.

So here it is, soon to be:

Out with the old

In with the new

If you would like to become a part of the media team or feel that you have some suggestions of what our new DaS needs then don't hesitate to let me know, the comments box is open to everyone.

Stay tuned..

2011-03-29T08:56:00.000-07:00

Please stay tuned.....

Although the lack of activity on this blog has portrayed a quiet time for Draw a Smile, I can assure you all that this is not the case!

Look out for news to come on Draw a Smile breaking yet another international border on its travels to Geneva, not to mention 'the latest news' on the Birmingham launch event.

More importantly the publishing of the new Draw a Smile structure and openings for 'head' positions with more detailed teams and exciting new projects... ...to be continued :)

Roll-up Roll-up

2011-03-17T08:22:00.001-07:00

Draw a Smile Volunteer Recruitment
Draw a Smile are very excited to open our doors once again. Please come along, bring your friends and expect to get hired!

We have a range of roles to suit all whether you have just 1 hour to spare or a whole week. You can expect to see a variety of tasks available to cater to all skills thanks to our new improved internal structure to help with the operations and running of DaS. You will have the opportunity to participate on any level that you see fit and you could even get the opportunity to be the head of your own department shaping it how you see fit and making a real difference!

Light refreshments will be served and there will be plenty of staff on hand to direct you to the right teams and answer all your questions. Details below:

View Larger Map

Draw a Smile Volunteer Recruitment fair:
Nadi Park Royal
260,
Old Oak Common Lane,
London,
NW10 6DX
18.30-20.00

...Check out the map above and the closest tube station seems to be North Acton, however you can access the location from a number of stations in and around the area.

Look forward to seeing you there :)

2011-03-16T06:22:00.001-07:00

Monday marked the re-group of the previous 'heads' and long-standing DaS members. In a bid to finalise new structuring for our organisation we sat in a London Costa armed with our general enthusiasm.

What we highlighted, specifically, were that the teams for our concentration to develop were our media, fundraising, and events/projects/campaigns teams. As DaS has gathered its notoriety through our successful events we found that it would be important to nurture these areas to ensure that there isn't a decline in our productivity.

There is still a large scope for improvement within our other teams such as marketing&PR and most of all administration, the backbone to the over-all running of DaS.

With allot of tweaking going on and water-tight role descriptions being put in place it is now time to head-hunt amongst our volunteers for suitable applicants to fill relevant roles.

DaS is stretching out responsibility and trust to it's larger family and hoping to grow. The only question is, will you be a part of it?

The forgotten children of Tahrir Square | Jody McIntyre | Independent Editor's choice Blogs

2011-03-16T06:11:00.000-07:00

Draw a Smile would like to share;

This an easy to read, short article about what we expect to see and hear but of which we turn our faces from:

The forgotten children of Tahrir Square Jody McIntyre Independent Editor's choice Blogs

What do you think?

2011-03-14T09:40:00.000-07:00

Here at Draw a Smile we want you to be comfortable as a new or regular member alike. With that being said I thought that it would be important to reflect ourselves through your words. Below is an account of one of our Smilers that has been with us just over half a year, who has been kind enough to share her experience with you all :)

"Initially, I was introduced to DAS through a friend and as soon as I had attended my very first event it was clear that I had met a wonderful team of dedicated individuals who were volunteering their spare time for such a good cause and I wanted to be part of it.

Upon hearing about their passion, I immediately inquired about future events and how I could become more involved. I attended meetings and was able to contribute straight away giving me a strong sense of belonging.

Since being a ‘Smiler’ I have participated in the ‘Eid in the square’ event where I realised that generating further interest in Draw a Smile was just as integral to raising the substantial amount of money that was achieved that day. I have also I represented Draw a Smile independently in the ‘Andalucian Rally’ where I drove from London to Spain in a bid to raise further funds for the children.

Another thing that attracted me was how this charity is also keen to use their established name to help other causes such as raising money for the Pakistan flood appeal and more recently, raising awareness and donations for the people of Egypt and Libya. The passion that emanates from this group of young volunteers through their insatiable desire to help the less fortunate and reach out to those that need their help most is what always keeps me coming back for more with Draw A Smile.

Their motto is together we can and that is exactly what happens. They certainly strive to achieve this with great success and I feel proud to have worked alongside this wonderful team."

Sara Osman. age 28

Draw a Smile would like to take this opportunity to thank Sara for her contribution and hope to see her smile along with us for a long time to come :).

If you are a Smiler and would like to share your experience with us then please don't hesitate to email me: jwalker@drawasmile.org.uk

Coming up...

2011-03-07T11:03:00.001-08:00

Get your questions answered, have your say, make suggestions, become a Draw a Smile member. DO GREAT THINGS!

Look out for the next open volunteer meeting this month (March). Confirmed date and time to be announced.

2011-03-07T05:49:00.000-08:00

Glasgow Launch

Following suit to the successful Birmingham Launch last week, Glasgow will be the place to be for all budding philanthropists based in Scotland next month.

Draw a Smile has had a growing presence in Scotland for a while yet feels an official launch to the team will inspire more members and promote the spirit of smiling all round. scotland@drawasmile.org.uk

for further details please consult flyer advertisment.

Aid the revolution

2011-02-27T13:28:00.000-08:00

Sparked by the courageous response of the youth in Egypt and their protests that later saw the resignation of a president that had stood cemented to his post for the past 30 years, Draw a Smile felt compelled to stand united with their counter-parts across the water and aid them in which ever way possible. In response, Draw a Smile launched 'aidEgypt'. A sister project to our work with Egyptian orphaned children to help provide injured protesters with the extra medical help needed as well as support for all those dramatically effected by the revolution.

The world is now witnessing the ripple effect of the revolution in surrounding North African countries and the need is ever more prevalent!

Aid for Libya is now a need that we must not ignore.

As always Draw a Smile stands compelled to help!

For info on the past 'aidEGYPT' launch event see below posts Please refer to the flyers page for up-coming 'aidLIBYA' fundraiser.

www.aidlibya.co.uk

www.aidegypt.co.uk

aidEGYPT

2011-02-27T04:36:00.000-08:00

Last week Sunday I had the rare privilege of attending the 'aidEGYPT' event held by my fellow Draw a Smile family and saw the message that we sought to deliver hit home in a way I could never have expected.

The Assaha restaurant in Paddington offered an ambient comfortable setting for a rather emotional and uncomfortable message. Taken through the journey of the people that stood firm and didn't give up by individuals fresh off of their return flight from Egypt we were presented with images of trauma, chaos and desperation with the eventual scenes of extreme unity, collaboration and progression as the Egyptian people worked to clean their streets and mend their society with the reinstatement of the country back to its people.

A minute of silence commemorating those martyred during the demonstrations, however, it was made clear that it would take at least 6 minutes to show mournful recognition to each soul, per second who fought for betterment and equality.

Draw a Smile raised £11,100 and hundreds of heads with the 'aidEGYPT' event.

Above is a video that featured at the event made by a fellow Smiler (Mahmoud) PLEASE WATCH!!

2011-02-25T06:22:00.000-08:00

Birmingham Launch

Draw a smile London is inspiring cities all over the country to stand up and start a team. We recently saw Draw a Smile introduced internationally (Scotland, Dubai etc.) and now fellow communities around England are organising the troops! If you are in Birmingham and want to get involved then please send an email to birmingham@drawasmile.org.uk or check our our facebook group for further information.

2011-02-24T10:23:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the 'Draw A Smile' blog. A place where all the magical moments of a Smiler will be shared and reflected upon. From England to Cairo you will find yourselves embarking on the most magical of journeys where only greatness is achieved.