17 April 2013

Telling Stories Workshop - Cairo - Day 3

After a successful morning orienting the street kids to photography (with the same material we covered yesterday with the resident kids), we headed out with them to the Citadel.

As soon as we arrived, everyone was excited to get started taking photos. The long walk up to the main entrance was slow, all of us stopping at various points to take photos, pose for photos, or look at photos others had taken. Happy was the mood!


Once we made it to the entrance, however, spirits lagged. Initially, it seemed to me, the problem was with my camera. They didn't like the fact it had a zoom lens. Not understanding Arabic, I had no idea, until voices were rising and everyone seemed to be looking in my direction. It took much discussion among 4 different guards with a call to the Supervisor to resolve the issue. In the end, they feared I was a spy and would take photos of their antiquated aircraft and missiles. Thus, my camera spent the day hidden in the back of a van.

Later, when we asked the boys how they enjoyed their outing, 14-year-old A--- observed: 'The day was beautiful. It was the people who were ugly.' I was flummoxed by what he meant. 

As it turns out, he was referring to the incident at the guard station. Only, it wasn't just about my camera, it was our bringing the boys into the park. (And these guys arrived early at the Center that day to wash and change before our trip. They looked like normal kids to me...) One of the counselors took offense at the insults the guards were saying about them. The guards were hoping by not allowing me in with my camera, we would all just go home. Ha! They obviously do not know about the iPhone 4S and it's marvelous picture-taking skills. 


Having these boys sit in and participate in this workshop is indescribable. Often they are tired from lack of sleep the night before (imagine: it must be hard getting a good night's rest sleeping on the ground with traffic all around you). One may doze occasionally, but at any moment, he's raising his hand to share his insights on a photo.


Two days, at this point, spent with 8 different kids of the streets, and I have never seen such respectful, polite, and well-behaved boys — even in the midst of jeering and foul talk aimed at them by those in positions of power.

My wish is people would look past class and education and judge others individually on their character. Everyone is deserving of respect. And if you can't proffer it to one because you feel they are beneath you ... maybe you need to evaluate your own character. I used to tell my own children when they would ask about someone less fortunate in any respect: "But for the grace of God go I." 

Don't think for a moment everything you have couldn't be lost and you could never end up on the street. Especially in America with the recent economic disaster... that very thing has happened to countless middle-class Americans. But for the grace of God, goes each of us reading this and ending up in a comfortable bed tonight.

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