© Published in New World Magazine

Cairo  – Twenty-three-year-old Wael Abdel Shafy describes himself as a typical young Egyptian. In one way, he is. In and out of temporary employment since leaving the local technical secondary school six years ago, he is still searching for his first steady job. Any dreams he may have had about using his school grades as a springboard to a career in electrical engineering soon disappeared. Even part-time work in his chosen profession was virtually impossible to come by. Wael has done just about everything from laying cable and plastering on Cairo’s construction sites to serving tourists in the restaurant and cafeteria of the city’s Meridien Hotel. However, he has never earned much more than the equivalent of $80 a month.

Learning by Doing weiterlesen →

© Published in  New World Magazine

Addis Abeba – Gamatscho Lemma, a gaunt herdsman, lives with his family in the village of Kute, about 300 kilometers (190 miles) north of Addis Ababa – or six hours by car. His life differs very little from that once led by his father, his grandfather or, for that matter, all his other ancestors. Although the family tends the cattle of richer farmers, they’re not allowed to drink a single drop of the herd’s milk. Together with their neighbors, they also cultivate a small field of wheat using a team of oxen. Their annual income, augmented by selling pottery jugs, comes to around $140 – just about enough to send the eldest son to school. That costs the family 100 Ethiopian birr, or some $14 a year.

Power to the People weiterlesen →