By Nada Deyaa’ Far away from the modernity of Cairo, in a small village located named Al-Ma’abda in the Assiut governorate, residents suffer from a lack of healthcare services and quality education. The village, located two hours away from the center of Assiut, is considered one of the poorest in the area. With a population of 100,000 and only one secondary school, a lack of access to knowledge is a fact of life for most residents. As most parents are concerned with the struggle to provide their families with the essentials – edible food and potable water – the idea of developing cultural knowledge or nurturing talent is passed over by many families in Al-Ma’abda. However, while most are labouring to improve their standard of living, a group of young men decided to build the first library in the village to compensate for the role of insufficient schooling in the area. “We believe we are forgotten and neglected by the government,” said Ayman Attia, founder of the library. “So we must either fight to teach ourselves or else surrender to darkness and ignorance.” The library aims to provide young people…
Overcoming Poverty, Youth Open First Self-Funded Library in Upper Egypt
February 24, 2016
