Voices from Cairo-Education and Environmental Mastery

An Old Picture of Cairo University.jpg

This is an old picture of Cairo University, which may or may not be related to the education of our interviewee.

"They opened my eyes and my mind...I was staying at home, didn't know anything about the world...Education affects how I view (my)self in relation to the world around me, it makes me accept myself, love myself, because of the things I do in university. "

--Khamis

Education in a university provides her mother with an environment that she can easily blend in. Finding a place for oneself is not easy, but once she does, it helps her accept and love herself and become more confident. She becomes more aware of what she is capable of doing, and start to gain the courage to make changes in the environment. Besides, she mentioned that she started to see the importance of education, which potentially encouraged her to continue studying and try new things in her life. She started learning new languages and taking art classes such as drawing and acting. In other words, she started to take control and make new changes in her life after her college education. 

"I'm a very shy person, I don't know how to speak in front of people and I can't express myself. But after doing a lot of presentations in college, now I have accepted myself and (have become) more confident."

--Khamis

According to Hams' mom, skills she learned from the university helped her change her family and her life. During the education at the university, she practiced talking in various presentations and discussions and her ability to communicate was enhanced. Such practices challenged her by putting her in front of people, and consequently equipped her with better communication skills, helped her overcame her shyness, and made her feel more confident with herself. Such confidence, together with the skills in talking, gives her the courage to share her thoughts with people in her life. For instance, she became more confident facing her father, a successful businessman whose old-schooled opinions she found intolerable. She effectively shared her thoughts with him, made him understand how she wanted her future career to be like. Together, they eliminated the misunderstandings and relieved the tension between family members. Both understanding and being understood catalyze changes in the family around her, and it is clear to see that education plays a critical role in this process- it equips one with the ability one needs to counter the adversities in life and gives one the belief that one can deal with the hardship.
Voices from Cairo-Education and Environmental Mastery