Verslaggevers

‘I think the greatest misunderstanding about slums here in Egypt is that people think that all people in slums are criminals and that we should exterminate them. The biggest problems the slums are facing are ignorance, transportations, water shortages, pollution, unemployment, drugs, overcrowding and congestion of population and violence.
If I could film only one story about slums, it would be about eviction and displacement of the farmers from their agricultural lands to build tourist resorts.
Human rights are important to me, absolutely. With the absence of democracy and justice in my country  I  always search for the human rights.
My message to the viewers? We are not alone in this planet and we have to think about the others.’

‘Some of my relatives live in the slums and every visit leaves me troubled. I feel it’s not a humane way to live. But on the other hand, one of the greatest misunderstandings about slums is that they are unsafe and harbor thugs. This can be true about some areas, but most of the slums are quite safe if you walk boldly like you know what you are doing. I do it all the time and I fit like everyone else.
My message to the viewers would be that there are people with big dreams in the slums. Most work so hard towards achieving that dream only to watch their dreams get shattered by the fact that some dreams are best achieved with money – education is one of those dreams.
If I could film only one story about slums, it would it be a family and what each one of them experiences from dawn to dusk. Dad getting up at dawn and walking tens of kilometres to work, a child’s day at home and school, and mum’s day too.
The nicest thing I have experienced in slums is friendliness. Everyone knows everyone and they shout hello to each other by name. They also look out for each other. It’s like one big family.
The biggest challenge for people living in slums is housing. Living in tinned, single-roomed houses for a whole family is a big challenge, just as lack of toilets and shower blocks, lack of clean water. And of course unemployment.
Human rights are quite important for me. Every human being deserves some dignity and to be treated with respect. Basic rights to proper shelter, food, clothing, is a right that every human being should enjoy – most of all children who have no idea why they live the way they live.’