On this International Day of Friendship, I find myself reflecting not on friendships formed in ease, but on those forged in fire, the friendships present amidst the refugees in Egypt. I want the world to know about the kindness I’ve witnessed when filming with these forced migrants and asylum seekers.
It’s not the effort of governments, churches, mosques or international organisations that makes people survive. It’s the kindness of people towards each other, small acts of friendship that sustain lives and restore dignity.
At this precise moment in the Middle East and Africa, the barriers to girls’ education are many. War and religious persecution are top of the list. We filmed with young women and men who came to Egypt to seek safety. One young Eritrean woman said, “It is easier for the cats and dogs [of rich people] to have passports and to travel than it is for me... Animals are more respected than refugees.” A Sudanese woman said, “I wish people wouldn’t use the word ‘refugee’; it makes me feel like I’m a burden to those around me.”