Sister Emmanuelle remains one of the French’s favorite female personalities, just behind Simone Weil, according to a survey published on the occasion of the anniversary of her death, October 19. A study which shows that the French have not forgotten the woman who dedicated her life to saving and protecting the children of Cairo.
Those who knew her remember this little woman with her lively eyes and high-pitched voice. To find the trace of Sister Emmanuelle in Cairo, you just need to go to the Mokattam district, the ragpickers’ district, a city within the city, which is home to nearly 100,000 people. And if you listen carefully you might even be able to hear it…
Romani Badir cannot help but imitate him. Today, he has gray hair and retirement age, but he continues to work because he has never forgotten that Sister Emmanuelle gave her life so that he and his family could be free and proud. “The first construction of Mokattam was during the time of Sister Emmanuelle in 1984-1985he says. It was just one room for each family. Without Sister Emmanuelle, all this would not exist.”
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This is how Mokattam was built. The open-air dump has become a neighborhood with buildings, streets, schools… Misery has given way to poverty and ragpicker Melad Mounir Zekri knows in any case to whom he owes this. “Sister Emmanuelle changed everything. She changed the life of the entire neighborhood.”
“We were in a slum and she developed an entire neighborhood. She also taught us the importance of education and the importance of sending children to school.”
Melad Mounir Zekri, ragpicker in Cairoat franceinfo
It is then that a person like no other intervenes, who recounts her first exchange with Sister Emmanuelle. It is Sister Sarah Ayoub Gattaz who can endlessly recount this day in 1976 when she met, never to leave her again, Sister Emmanuelle. Together, they faced poverty but above all changed forever the lives of these thousands of children in Cairo. “A work of 20 years, remembers the sister. We built schools”, the nun boasts.
“No more girls get married here before the age of 22 or 23 now. They continue their studies and some become doctors, pharmacists or even teachers.”
Sister Sarah Ayoub Gattaz, companion of Sister Emmanuelleat franceinfo
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In the popular district of El Marg, Sister Emmanuelle’s association, Asmae, remains very present, fifteen years after her disappearance. In the children’s room, girls and boys take part in a workshop on respect for others. They can also be found in one of the 17 community schools or in other associations for disabled children that Asmae supports. “After the death of Sister Emmanuelle, Asmae began to work on the legacy of her teachings in Egypt but the association was also structured with the implementation of strategies and we broadened its action to other sectorsexplains its Egyptian manager Nashwa Fayek. This is how we have grown and we now have the authorizations to intervene in the 27 regions of the country to help even more children.”
“I believe that Sister Emmanuelle would be proud, happy with what we are achieving and the fact that we are continuing her action in Egypt.”
Nashwa Fayekat franceinfo
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Proud to continue the action of Sister Emmanuelle in Egypt, but not only. Asmae also organizes emergency actions in eight countries, such as the one that will be set up for Sudanese refugee children. “Today, we are reacting to emergency situations such as, for example, in Aswan where there is a significant influx of refugees from Sudan, particularly women and children, who have experienced a traumatic migration journey and who arrive in Aswan with significant needs in terms of psychological and social support”evokes Adrien Sallez, general director of Asmae.
The association, which operates 50% with private donations, helps no less than 40,000 children every year, including in France.