We are Known by the Mark we Leave. . .

"What are you doing, mister?"

"I'm painting the door to make it look good"

"Why?"

"Someone important is coming"

"Who?"

"You!"

It may have lost a bit in the translation, but such was the jist of the discussion a volunteer at the Gabarona YMCA school had with a young student trying to sneak a look at the improvements being made by a group of volunteers from Gabarona (across the Nile from Khartoum on the outskirts of Omdurman). The volunteers were from the community who just wanted to help the four of us and Dr. Wageeh William, President of the Khartoum YMCA on a day when the 370 youthful students were on a holiday. This has definately been a highlight of the first several hours of our Khartoum visit and we are anxious to return on Tuesday when we will be joined by some key officials from CIDA and, of course, 370 kids. The school, believed to be one of only 3 in an area of over 100,000 persons displaced from Darfur, the Nubian Mountains in the north, and the war-torn south. The children were more than excited as they congregated outside the school gate laughing and impressed with their images on the screens of our digital cameras.

After a smooth entry into Sudan and registration at the hotel, we had a brief opportunity to enjoy a meal ane then join a group of YMCA board members, volunteers, CIDA officials and Canadian Embassy staff at the home of Dr. Wageeh as we were warmly welcomed back into the extended YMCA family in Khartoum. Delightful music by the YMCA choir and instrumental presentations by Dr. Wageeh's three children set an amazing tone of acceptance and working together to help solve issues they are dealing with in their community.

We were fortunate to pay a visit to the home of Cirisio Soka, an artist who carves amazing pieces of ebony from the raw product as part of Dr, Wageeh's business. In the photo above you can see one of the pieces as he holds it for us to photograph.

Today we began to experience what the Y does extremely well - engaging the community to make a better community for everyone. Today we had a vivid demonstration of how the perfection of the mark on the wall identifying the YMCA program is nowhere as important as the mark it leaves in the lives of the people it engages.

Stay tuned for the significance of dates in the Nile.

The Four Westerners Appear in Camel-Lot

Not only did we ride the dusty roads to the pyramids of Giza but we did, in fact, find ourselves amongst the camels resting themselves by the big famous rock piles. Then we found ourselves atop the mighty dromidarys, as our true ambitions to rule the world as mighty pharaohs became the better of us. Residents of the area and visitors from afar trembled as they witnessed the mighty four westerners taking rule of the world from atop their beasts. Then my camel spit on the ground, gave me the eye and a frustrated sigh, kneeled to the ground and shook me off. Once we were all brought back to earth, a couple of our group thought it was important to pay the camel attendents every time they asked for a tip, so there was sure to be a lot of celebrating in camel town that night!

The pyramids, a sail on the Nile, lunch and a meeting with Samy at the Y in Cairo highlighted the day before driving to Alexandria and having supper with some Y folk from the City on the Sea.

TUT, TUT, TUT. . . DON'T GO IN THERE!

Yes, a visit to the world famous Cairo Museum was on our agenda, but as the YMCA van slid between vehicles, policemen and hoards of people in front of the pink museum, we were told it was closed today - it was Tuesday! So on we moved. Seeing the museum and especially the mummy room had come to a dead end.
Wednesday, we were hosted by Magda, CEO of the Alexandria YMCA which opened on the holiday for our visit. This is one of the most progressive YMCA's in the world in its leadership role in the community. We visited their resident camp outside of Alexandria itself and joined a rather large group of Christians and Muslims in a good old-fashioned campfire type program. This is one of the first ventures of the YMCA into resident camping . We headed back to our accommodation at the Y residence before being picked up to go to a huge YMCA formal party to celebrate the end of a very successful summer of activity. This kept us goinguntil about 2:00 am when we had to leave the festivities to finish packing to drive back to the Cairo airport just 2 hours later.

Despite several attempts to access the internet in Alexandria, we were unsuccessful as our bloggery has suffered slightly from lack of connectivity.

Thursday and we are now in Khartoum after a smooth process through the Cairo airport, the skies of the Sahara, and the Khartoum airport. We are now set for the second stage of our adventure. A quick rest at the hotel and then off to a reception for us by a number of YMCA and Canadian Embassy staff later this evening. This is the beginning of it all for the four of us.

What an Eye-full

Somewhere between Sudbury on a cool fall morning and Cairo on an average fall day is a brief stopover in France - Paris! Now our five hour stopover was reduced by complications getting out of the CDG Airport in Paris, so the four of us jammed into a very nice cab and hoofed it down to tower territory so we could at least say we saw part of the world that people would recognize on our way to Egypt and Sudan. Granted, we only had an hour, but it was enough to satisfy our sense of adventure and exploration and we finished it off by consuming fresh crepes on the banks of the Seine.

Then it was back in the cab to the airport and on our way to Cairo and the land of mummies and pyramids. We speedily obtained our visas, got through immigration and customs and were met by John Island Alumni Miriam Nashed and Raymond, the driver. We were sped off through Cairo traffic to the famous Al Horeya Hotel complete with its freshly painted elevator shaft (even covered up the floor numbers so using the elevator has become an Egyptian adventure). Then off to the market for a bit of shopping and some kabobs, and finally back to the hotel after two days of little if any sleep to prepare for tomorrow. Wednesday features a visit to the pyramids, the museum, meeting with Samy at the Y and then a drive in the Y van to magnificent Alexandria. Whew!

Oh yes, while in the market this evening, Helen, Kim and Nancy were mercyless with a merchant and beat him down to an acceptable price on the three items of clothing seen in the photo.

Stay tuned for more in the adventures of the Four Westerners in a Far Away Land.

Our Destination, Our Mission

Reaching from the shores of the Mediterranean Sea to Central Africa and the coast of the Congo, our mission is intended to stretch from Alexandria in Northern Egypt to Yambio in Southern Sudan. Pictured on the left, Sudan imposes as the largest country in Africa. Once considered to be the bread basket of Africa with its fertile lands along the Nile, it is now looking to the massive oil reserves in the south to provide wealth to the country in the future. With the barren desert lands of the north to the jungle of the south, Sudan is a diverse land.

Our mission is to connect with the projects of the YMCA's of Northern Ontario in Sudan and Egypt and too give support to the dedicated Sudanese who carry out the Y's agenda - an active youth exchange with the YMCA of Egypt, an upcoming youth internship with the YMCA of Egypt, and 3 schools in Khartoum, Sudan. Our schools in Khartoum are operated by the YMCA of Khartoum and currently provide basic education and a chance for a brighter future to over 1,500 youth and children a year.

Our home in Sudan is pictured above. If you happen to be in Khartoum while we are there, drop in and say hi.

Two days to departure. Stay tuned for our next posting which will be from Africa.

What to Wear, What to Pack. . . .

As I write this, the temperatures for Cairo are 31C daytime and 16C nights, Alexandria are 27 daytime and 16 nights, and Khartoum are 38C to 42C daytime and down to a refreshing 25C at night. And then you are preparing for mosquito areas where malaria is a concern, so short sleeves and short pants are a no no. So what do you wear and what do you pack for those conditions? And then Yambio, the last destination, is a little cooler, but still at the tail end of the rainy season, so the dry heat of Khartoum is replaced by the very humid 28C daytime temperature of Yambio. Now we are really getting complicated. But all things considered, here I sit with 4 shirts, 2 pairs of pants, 3 pair of Tilley brand socks (that can be washed and dry overnight), etc. Should be enough.
Oh yes, I almost forgot...we return in a few weeks to Toronto and then Sudbury and their weather. Better throw in a jacket and a pair of earmuffs.
Four days to go.

It is Better to Give......

A traditional custom in both countries that we are visiting to exchange gifts. When we visit Egypt and Sudan we arrive back home with gifts that at times are humbling to us as the gifts are often the result of some sacrifice ... but they reflect the value they place in the visitors and what they represent in terms of support and friendship. But what makes a meaningful gift from us to our partners? What represents the value we place in their dedication, their persistence in overcoming obstacles, their belief in what the YMCA should and can do in their communities and their adherence to their mission? When I last asked this question to our partners, the answer was not what I expected. I was told that the most valuable thing we bring to our partnership is not the material things and not the funds we supply, although that is important. The most valuable thing we can bring is our concern and support for what they are doing - giving them more tools to achieve what they have identified as their goals whether information, training or giving them confidence and confirming that what they are doing is achieving results.
But we still need something that they can place on their desk or hang on their wall - that's the custom. They have the soapstone carvings, native art, maple syrup, YMCA memorabilia, etc.
Hmmmmmm. Any ideas?

Making a List...Checking it Twice

Lists of things to take, lists of things to buy, lists of things we have to do, lists of immunizations to get, lists of arrangements to make, and, of course, a list of the lists we need to make. With only 13 days until the jet takes off from Toronto International Airport, the months of planning now gets scrunched into a few days. But we are organized and will be ready! Our Egypt hosts and our Khartoum hosts are just as pumped as we are . . . the Four Westerners will soon be on their way!