In the heart of an Islamic cemetery that 1.5 million Egyptians call home, a cultural initiative led by a Polish architect is bringing graffiti, sculptures, and handcraft workshops to an area plagued by stigma. Valentina Primo speaks to Agnieszka Dobrowolska, the woman behind the project. Feb 01,2017 A’m Mosaad is sitting outside his carpentry workshop, a...
The Moroccan-based startup connects women with security agents spread across ‘hot’ or danger zones, who can intervene at the tap of a button, and its founder, Samia Haimoura, is planning to launch the social venture in Egypt and Tunisia soon. Jan 06,2017 Zaineb is walking cheerily down the street in the Moroccan city of Efrane...
Egypt’s entrepreneurial generation is as fearless as ever. Taking on mammoth challenges from FinTech, to transportation, to augmented reality solutions for the deaf, these are the country’s youngest entrepreneurs driving change. They are the silent warriors of social change; the valiant innovators who don’t fear age barriers, gender stereotypes or cultural chains. These intrepid entrepreneurs...
After she was imprisoned in her native land, Ilili Jamal escaped Ethiopia’s persecution of the Oromo in a torturous three-week-long journey to take refuge in Egypt. Oct 02,2016 Ilili Jamal didn’t know that she was pregnant when they arrested her. She realised it sometime throughout the torturous five months she spent in prison, as she...
In most of the world intra-familial marriage is considered blatantly taboo but in many countries, including Egypt, the practice remains commonplace. Valentina Primo meets three cousin couples to talk societal norms, parental pressure, and the potentially dangerous medical ramifications. Feb 13,2016 A washed winter sunset is looming through the window of this cosy flat in...
Statistics indicate that the Christian population across the Middle East has dropped from 13.6% to 4.2% in the past century. As the Egyptian Christian community continues to decrease, Valentina Primo speaks to those leaving the country to unveil the reasons behind this post-modern exodus. Feb 06,2016 “I’m leaving. I don’t want to live in a...
Unorthodox, independent, and intrinsically non-stereotypical, Muslim feminists challenge both Western liberal and Muslim clichés. Valentina Primo speaks to two Egyptian feminist women about religion, culture, and their refusal to be typecast into categories they do not recognise themselves. Jan 04,2016 “Feminism can be counterproductive. Look at mainstream white feminists, or as I like to call...
“I had been thinking about taking off the veil for the past two years, but I was scared of people’s judgment. When you wear a hijab, it is not just about a veil: it is the way you dress, it is your actions; it feels like you are representing a religion with everything you do.”...
Valentina Primo walks the streets of Cairo with enigmatic graffiti artist Keizer, as he discovers what survived of his revolutionary stencils, and crafts an exclusive new piece for CairoScene, while exploring what there is left to say once the revolution’s spirit has faded away. Nov 27,2015 Keizer is alert, a sense of caution guiding his every tread....
A staggering 70% of the adult population is obese in Egypt. Publicly shamed, ill-advised, and often unable to exercise in private or public spaces, Egyptians seldom find a solution to a condition that can lead to a wide array of chronic diseases. Nov 12,2015 Bassant El Qassem walks the streets of Haram, her long black 3ebaya swinging...
