Less than a month to go!

Saint Louis, Missouri

Hi again -

I was finally given my flight information, and I'll be in Cairo starting August 16th. I'm very excited to finally be there and working on my project, an idea that began over a year ago! As promised, here is more information about my Fulbright project.

First, I am taking Arabic language classes at the American University in Cairo's Arabic Language Institute. Even though I spent 4 years as an Arabic major during my undergrad time at Georgetown, there is still alot I can learn about the Arabic language. Arabic is different from English because, for example, there are two main types, a formal Arabic (Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) or foosha) and dialect Arabic (ameeya). I'm not positive how many different dialects there are in the Arab world, but the language varies by country and region. Taybat, a woman I work with at Barnes-Jewish Hospital's Refugee Health Services, speaks over 20 different dialects! I have spent most of my time studying MSA, which is used in the news and for formal documents, and so I'll be adding more Egyptian dialect study to my experience during my previous summer abroad. Egyptian Arabic is a great dialect to know; a large number of Arabic-speakers understand it because many movies are filmed in this dialect.

Second (and the part I'm most excited about!), I am working for Save the Children (STC). It will be both an intensive language experience (except for the country director, who is American, the entire office speaks Arabic, and the documents I'm required to review are also in Arabic!) and a great program development opportunity. I will be working in the Information and Communication Unit, which is responsible for documenting and evaluating programs, designing public relations materials in Arabic and English, and supporting correspondence with STC's sponsors. STC's main impact area is in the villages of the Minya Governate, a few hours outside of Cairo, so I'll be spending some time there in addition to STC's office and youth programs in downtown Cairo. If you're curious about STC's mission and programs in Egypt, follow the link on the side of the page to their website. I'm particularly excited to be working with STC because their programs have been very successful in so many different countries and political, economic, and humanitarian circumstances. They have a keen sense of local sensitivities and have been able to implement healthcare and youth programs in a positive and effective manner.

That's all for now, and my next update will probably come from Cairo!

Best,
Liz

Up and running

Saint Louis, Missouri

Hi all -

I don't leave for Cairo for another month, but I wanted to get this up and running before then. I've set up this blog to use for the next year both to keep in touch with everyone back home and my friends around the world, and also to give you all a better idea of what I'm doing.

The Fulbright commission encourages us grantees to serve as cultural ambassadors for the United States. I've taken this to mean that I need to educate the people I meet in Egypt about the US, but more importantly I need to educate Americans about what I learn in Egypt. I think increasing knowledge and understanding of the Middle East region is the most important - and the easiest - step in solving the problems facing the US and the global community today, and I hope you'll spend some time on my blog reading my posts and visiting my links.

I will be updating throughout the week with more information about my plan of work and study in Cairo.

Best,
Liz