News

To Make Ends Meet

26 March 2015

By Vincent

This amazing woman is an example for all to follow, in terms of endearment and sedulousness. To provide for her family in a society where it is opposed to women in the work place, Sisa Abu Daooh donned a local jilbab-a loose fitting full -length robe, with a wide sleeve as well as a white turban to disguise her identity. Determined to support her family Abu Daooh explained “To protect myself from men and the harshness of their looks and being targeted by them due to traditions I decided to be a man and dress in their clothes and work alongside them in other villages where no-one knows me”

She worked for 43 years making bricks and polishing shoes amongst other jobs. One can only imagine the slaving hours and the hard work she had to go through whilst looking after her baby daughter. Eventually she married her daughter off to man who later fell ill and couldn’t work. Being the amazing person she is she continued to work endlessly for her family. When asked about her situation she simply said “I prefer working in hard labour, like lifting bricks and cement bags and cleaning shoes to begging in the streets in order to earn a living for myself and for my daughters and her children”

Her daughter Houda said ”My mom is the one who still provides for the family every morning she wakes up at 6am to start polishing shoes at the station in Luxor. I carry her kits now that she’s advanced in age.”

Abu Daooh gives thanks to all who has helped her along the way and she hopes to see Egypt in a better position.

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