Mama Maggie by Marty Makary

Author:Marty Makary
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: ebook
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Published: 2014-12-01T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter 16

Slow Going

Love seeketh not itself to please,

Nor for itself hath any care,

But for another gives its ease,

And builds a heaven in hell’s despair.

—William Blake, from “The Clod and the Pebble”

HOW DO YOU BEGIN TO BRING LASTING CHANGE IN A PLACE like the 15th of May slum?

It takes time, patience, and perseverance.

In Egypt, whether one is dealing with the poorest of the poor or richest of the rich, the family unit is central. In the West, there is a tremendous emphasis on individual rights. In Egypt, interest in the community seems to supersede individual interests. People are seldom solitary. If they are going somewhere, they take a friend or family member—or someone they just met on the street—along.

In some wealthier countries, particularly in North America, the culture promotes independence. Many individuals relocate according to schooling and work opportunities alone, even if that means being far from family and friends.

But in Egypt, the mind-set is more communitarian, rather than individualistic. People are energized by one another. Families often end up living together. It’s not uncommon to have extended families in the same apartment building, with grown kids downstairs, parents upstairs, and various sisters and brothers, cousins, grandchildren, and other relatives all living in close proximity.

This is how Mama Maggie lived and lives, and it’s commonplace for her staff as well. It is also the case in the slums. So for cultural and practical reasons, Mama Maggie’s work deals not just with individuals but with family units. So when Youssef and Mama Maggie and others began making plans to set up a new community center in the 15 May area, they knew they had to begin building relationships with the families for it to be successful.

Youssef would come and drive down the long, littered road into the neighborhood, periodically getting out of the battered Isuzu and walking up and down the rows of shanties. Sometimes he would bring a soccer ball; boys would appear out of nowhere to kick it around with him. He’d ask if he could come to their homes. He would meet their mothers and gradually, bit by bit, win their trust. Adults would vouch for him to their neighbors; children loved him. He established connections and slowly and patiently built the foundation for their work.

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