Telling Stories Workshop - Cairo - Day 2

9 April 2013

Getting out of the car at FACE Salam Center (FSC) is akin to arriving at a movie premier (I'm guessing). Young men ready to carry your bags, help you from the car, and walk you inside as you shake hands with others who seemingly materialize out of the steps leading to the building. (Shaking hands in Egypt is not the usual USA clasp hands, pump up-and-down 3 times. It's a slap, lightly grasp, and pump-down-once affair).

Then there are the kids who make FSC their home (some for a few hours a day, some 24/7... it's their choice). They want to know your name, they want to shake hands, they want to practice the English they are learning. They want a hug. Or a kiss on the cheek. They want to be treated with respect. 

And as I found out in our first classroom session with the resident students (those still living on the streets will meet tomorrow), they return the respect with attentiveness and participation I would never expect from young teenagers.

I think one of their favorite slides from the lesson was Eadweard Muybridge's stop-motion of a galloping horse. (Which is, by the way, the first-ever motion picture!). 

After going over composition and basic techniques, it was off to Azhar Park for an afternoon of shooting. 

Each student was paired with a staffer who had a list of shots to take. 

Did the follow the list? Did they even try? I won't know until tomorrow afternoon, but even if they didn't, each one shot two disposable cameras of 27 shots each. So.. they did something!

And what a wonderful day. The sandstorm enveloping Cairo for the past two weeks had dissipated. Breezy, low 80's, sunshine with a meandering cloud or two. Perfect for observing changing light on a scene, and perfect for walking through a stunning park making friends with Egyptians enjoying a delightful day with their friends and families.

The day was void of whining, fighting, disruptive behavior, disciplinary measures — truly remarkable for 4 teenage boys aged 12-16. When I let Kashif try out my camera, the other boys waited to be asked if they wanted a turn. They never grabbed at it or resented giving it up to another. And that perhaps, was the biggest surprise... that they treated one another with affection and respect. I think it is the work FACE has done that has given them a framework of famly.