Aya Hegazy could have had the wedding every girl dreams about since childhood. But she and her husband Mohamed Hassanein decided to spend the money on opening an NGO to help kids on the streets of Cairo live their own childhood. A dream came true at Mohamed Mahmoud Street in Tahrir Square, bringing about change to 20 lives. A dream short-lived, for three months later the couple was put behind bars. The 29-year-old Egyptian-American came back to Egypt after she was done with her studies in the United States “to help the country,” her brother Bassel told Egyptian Streets. Belady Foundation launched in February 2014, with the slogan “Looking at our children on the street in a different way”. Hegazy used to go up to the children in main squares such as Tahrir and Ramsis, telling them they had a place to stay if they promise to develop and learn. “They loved … being treated with respect,” said Bassel. As soon as a kid was taken in, Hegazy informed their parents, he added. Recycling workshops, arts classes, and even watching movies with the kids were all daily activities at Belady….
Couple Spend Their Wedding Money on Street Children, End up in an Egyptian Prison
February 12, 2016
