5.+Journal+Entries


 * V. Journal Entry One **

Journal,

The Service Learning class at CAC stresses the importance of coming together as a community in order to recognize the major problems that surround us. This class allows us to view the Egyptian society in different perspectives to try to address different issues in ways that are both achievable for our age group and our limited resources but also make a true difference. We were told to adapt a service project composing of a main goal that addresses the key issue that we are trying to improve. With my partners Chrissy and Jahan we have agreed to go to the Al-Wadi orphanage in Road 206 (CAC Back gate) in order to work with the kids there. Our target group would be kids aged 2 to 6. Our main goal is to improve their quality of life by teaching them English, a language that will enhance their opportunities in the foreign world, and also by teaching them different areas of the Arts such as performing and visual arts. We decided to emphasize on the arts because we feel this is a very important aspect in one’s life since it is essential to making people comfortable with themselves and allows kids to express themselves in better ways. However, we do feel that there are a lot of obstacles with this project seeing as there is not only a language barrier which we believe makes it twice as hard, but also the kids may loose interest very quickly and it is not guaranteed that they will have perfect their English the way we want them to by the end of the year, seeing as they are only little kids and our visits to the orphanage will be weekly and not very consistent. This plan will need a lot of perfecting in order for it to become possible. Since the first trip is this Saturday, we would see how it goes and how comfortable the kids and ourselves feels with this whole new Service Learning Project. All projects and goals will definitely be challenges, but challenges that will be very worth it in the end and will pay off.


 * VI. Journal Entry Two **

Journal,

Our group has finally come to a conclusion. Even though we went to the Al-Wadi orphanage and practically fell in love with the kids, we find it at times very hard to get their attention or very hard for them to understand us since only one person in the groups speaks Arabic. With the great risk that it brings, we have decided to start a new service project seeing as we want to feel like we are more capable of achieving more and of actually making a difference. As I was talking to my mother, Cristina, about my service-learning project, she decided to tell me about this girl who was in great need of help. The Latin community was very keen from helping her from the beginning, and they were doing fundraisers such as lunches or dances, in which we would all, help out, in order to raise money. My mom put me into contact with Maria T, a Colombian woman who is very close to the victim of this terrible accident and the woman who was in charge of supporting, organizing and providing for this major cause. Maria T told me Leila’s story, and in a heartbeat I couldn’t help but feeling sympathy for this 20 year-old girl. Leila, a student at AUC, was driving in her car with her boyfriend and another friend. A misfortunate trail of events led to the car flipping over, killing Leila’s boyfriend and injuring her friend. Leila also suffered the impact the most. Her leg and hip were both shattered into pieces. In a lot of pain, Leila was rushed into the hospital were her first surgery was performed. She was paralyzed, and she knew that her problem would not be fixed by only one surgery. Surgery after surgery, hospital bills pilled up and Berta, Leila’s mom, saw herself in distress. Fired from her job, she proposed to sell all the jewelry she owned, furniture, and other objects in order to cover some of the expenses of the hospital. As far as the coverage that her insurance is suppose to provide, we don’t know, but what we do know is that this family was in deep need of financial aid. As if it wasn’t enough, Leila developed gangrene and the area were the surgery had been performed was infected. Having to undergo one of the longest surgeries of her life, the doctors managed to use a layer of her skin from her chest to wrap around her hip in order to replace all the dead tissue. Maria T had told us that Leila now was in full bed rest, trying to recover, and that by a miracle, she was able to take 2 steps last Saturday. By coming into contact with the Latin community, we found out that Leila’s antibiotics were 300 LE each. She needed 2 doses of this antibiotic each day, spending about 600 LE per day. By speaking to Berta, Leila’s mother, she said that all she wanted was to see her daughter smile again. She said that it broke her heart seeing her in bed and in pain, but that she knew that Leila was strong enough to carry on. This story completely inspired my group and I. When we heard it for the first time, we truly felt like we could make a difference in her life and we knew that it was in times like this that Leila could really use someone to rely on and comfort her. I personally was inspired by her courage, will, and strength to carry on despite everything she has been through. We complain about so much and so little, when we are given almost everything. We are always healthy, safe, and nothing important or essential is missing. But for Leila, even though her life almost ended and crumbled to pieces, she carried on because she’s a fighter in every way possible. We feel like it is our duty to help such an except role model simply because her and her family deserve it all. It may be challenging but it is definitely worth it and far more within our reach than our previous project. Also, I truly believe that helping Leila will also benefit us in the sense not only will we learn valuable lessons from her, but we will be able to bring various communities together in other to help the best cause possible. Still, the big problems remains as to how exactly are we going to raise money for Leila while still providing enough service to our community?




 * VII. Journal Entry Three **

Journal,

After seeing the first picture of Leila and her mom, Berta, her smile captivated me and gave me motivation. Not only did it give us motivation, but also faith that we are going to raise enough funds to help her. The money can be very easily raised while still providing the Egyptian community with service. We will be asking for donations from parents or families, in order to raise extra money if anyone is willing to help. Also, the most efficient way of collecting funds is by selling baked good on CAC. A lot of goods will be baked in order to attract CAC students after school, but still make them fully aware of the purpose of the bake sale and touch their hearts with Leila’s struggle for life. By telling the story to my Catholic Church, all of its members and participants were instantly moved by it. The Church helper offered to pay us if we helped with the mass, if we helped after-mass, or to do a general clean up of the church, its garden, and classrooms in order to collect money. The Maadi Catholic Church helping project would run through every Sunday, after mass, or any day throughout the weekend in order to raise proper funds. Also, while coming into contact with two very kind women from Spain, they offered to pay us for sorting boxes of clothes donated to orphans all over Egypt. Not only did we raise money from community service and by helping others, but also by constant acts of baby sitting or running errands for other people. My group and I were literally willing to do anything in order to raise funds for Leila because we felt as if we owed it to her, because it was the least that we could have done. Slowly, progress is being made, and sufficient funds are being collected every time. People seem to be more aware of the cause, which leads them to want to donate more a more each time. All of my groups’ members were keen on helping Leila and were all hoping that our actions will have the greatest effect amongst our target group and community.


 * VIII. Journal Entry Four **

Journal,

Today marks the completion of our service-learning project. We have managed to raise a total of approximately 3,000 LE, which is an amazing amount considering our obstacles regarding on how to collect sufficient funds. Along with the money, we wrote Leila a letter, and bought her mom and her a couple of bracelets. We had planned on raising about 2,000 LE but with great contributions from the Latin and Jordanian community, we were able to provide Leila with more than we wanted too. The feeling of complete satisfaction has taken over us and we just feel so accomplished about all our hard work. Above all, what matters most is Leila and her current and future health status. The greatest feeling of all is the feeling that you get when you’ve finally accomplished or achieved something you have been planning to do for an extended period of time. The greatest feeling of all is the feeling when you feel that you have made a difference in someone else’s life, no matter how small it is, it still meant something no matter what. The greatest feeling of all is the feeling when you make someone else happy, when you put others needs ahead of your own and when you put effort into the things that really mean a lot to you because somehow they have managed to touch your heart and motivate you in ways that you did not think possible. Leila’s case is sad, but over the course of time we all realized that having pity for Leila wasn’t going to get us anywhere. We now regard her as our inspiration to get through our daily routine by always trying to see the positive side of things and by always enjoying life or seizing the moment. There is not a minute to spend, because every single minute counts. Hopefully, in the future, Leila will continue to receive our unconditional help, and she will continue to lead a slow but effective recovery that will restore her back to leading her life again. I speak for every member of my group when I say that we are all very pleased with our results, but most importantly we care about Leila and her situation. We are still waiting to hear back from Leila to see what she thinks about our project so far. To conclude, we are all very happy and we feel like we have learned a great deal of things from this yearly experience in Service Learning. As Martin Luther King Jr. once said “Life’s most urgent question is: What are you doing for others?