Meet Eida, the Girl Who Fought for Her Right to Education and Misr El Kheir Helped Her Win

A lot of Egyptian students dread their academic life. Putting aside whether students are publicly or privately educated, signs of ignorance could be noticed. From side talks, to lack of interest, late assignments, skipping classes, and sometimes even skipping school. Yet, against all odds, some people fight for their right to receive education. Sadly, they’re usually the ones who are less fortunate. They’re the ones with endless obstacles keeping them away from the classroom. They’re children just like Eida, the fifth-grader whom we’d like to call the Egyptian Malala Yousafzai.

Eida Mahmoud Ahmed is a shepherdess, born and raised in Luxor, who defied all circumstances simply just to go to school. The young girl had many hurdles; among them was the fact that the nearest school from her was too far from home. That caused her father to insist on Eida to help him out with work instead, and since the whole family was illiterate, she couldn’t get any support from them. Yet, the rebel inside of her chose not to give up as she responded with resistance, and a plan to sneak out to school.

Her inspiring story caught the attention of Misr El Kheir, who is well known for their continuous projects that aim to improve welfare. The NGO decided to have her back and help her win the battle. Not only did they build a community school near her house, but also sponsored her education until she graduates from university.

Community schools are tailored to suit the circumstances of children such as Eida. No need to commit to a uniform, schedules are flexible, and most importantly, there are no tuition fees required. Misr El Kheir has supported more than 30,000 students across the country by building more than 1,000 community schools in the past years.

WE SAID THIS: We hope that one day we put an end to illiteracy in Egypt.