Teacher and students in the Taghyeer program.

In Arabic, taghyeer means “change” and that is the goal of a new youth program in Al Mokattam, one of Cairo’s poorest neighborhoods. 

In partnership with the Mohamed Shafik Gabr Foundation for Social Development, AMIDEAST is implementing a supplemental curriculum for 40 elementary and middle school students from non-elite, socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds focused on strengthening their English language proficiency, building leadership skills, and developing competencies in areas like public speaking. “Change” for these students is providing them an edge to overcome the social and economic challenges they face.

Mokattam is home to close to 20,000 people.  Most inhabitants have had limited access to formal schooling and the incidence of child labor has been very high. While recent years have seen progress to improve living conditions and expand educational opportunities in the Mokattam area, much remains to be done.  

Hands-on art activities encourage student learning through experience in a proactive manner.

A special feature of the Taghyeer program is the English language curriculum’s unique Egyptian cultural focus, which is helping the students learn English by making it more relevant to their everyday lives. As students explore Egyptian traditions using the English language, Egyptian cultural events become language triggers for expanding vocabulary and furthering their comfort in using English. Exposure to Egypt’s rich cultural and artistic heritage, which is often overlooked in Egyptian school curricula, also serves to broaden the students’ awareness of their own history and where they fit into a broader worldview.

Lastly, the program includes lessons and activities that are intended to introduce the students to the concepts of civic and community service and to empower them to become involved in their own community.

It is hoped that Taghyeer’s program of positive engagement will have a lasting impact on these young lives. Early signs are encouraging. Already, teachers are noting a significant development in language as well as interpersonal skills. Extracurricular activities and an interactive classroom setting are providing opportunities to learn through observation and experience in a proactive manner.

A teacher training program implemented in summer 2009 is also helping to bring Taghyeer’s benefits into the classroom in neighboring schools. The 23 teachers who took part in the summer 2009 program learned new approaches to teaching and completed action plans to guide their continuing professional development.

“Change” is not easy, but the program’s emphasis on teamwork and respecting the values of others is producing, as one teacher noted, “a remarkable change in attitudes” among the students that both parents and teachers notice. They have become more independent and analytical in their approach to learning — taking important first steps to greater self awareness and engagement.