By Hannah Wilkinson
The Right to Live Association was founded thirty years ago by the mothers of intellectually handicapped children.
They had noticed unacceptable levels of prejudice; other parents would grab their own kids and forcibly move them away from children with disabilities.
For these women, it was not enough for their children to live; they had to have a life. They wanted to create an organisation where intellectually disabled people could develop, feel safe and actually enjoy themselves: one which would speak for the 10% of the population who have a disability, when no one else would.
Noura Mustafa, who works with the Right to Live Association, recounted the story of its inception at a charity fundraiser on Monday night, held in the swanky surroundings of the Le Pacha boat in Zamalek.
“In Egypt, anything that combines food and drink, that kind of gets people’s attention,” joked Omar Samra, a renowned climber, who organises charity climbing expeditions in conjunction with his travel company, Wild Guanabana, as part of an initiative called Right to Climb (RTC). Samra is intimately connected to The Right to Live Association, himself having two sisters with intellectual disabilities.
The event was primarily a fundraiser for RTC’s next trip, in which a team of intrepid mountaineers will attempt to reach the summit of Mount Kenya. In order to support this venture, guests were encouraged to buy as many raffle tickets as possible, at EGP 20 each, and donations were encouraged.
The party also served as a platform for raising awareness, both about the Right to Climb initiative, and the charity itself.
“There has been an RTC climb every year since 2010, with over EGP 1m raised in total between all climbs,” explained Safi, well-known voice of Nile FM, and MC for the evening. Safi went on the first expedition with Right to Climb, and plans to go on the next one. “This time we set a target for the climbers at EGP 5199 as that is also how high Mount Kenya is,” he said.
For Samra, who has climbed mountains like Everest, walking up mountains like Kilimanjaro was probably a little like strolling up a hill, but for first-time climbers, it was a gruelling but life-changing experience. Safi introduced several speakers to extol the virtues of making the climb for charity. Biko G, a gregarious individual, spoke of his trip with enthusiasm, recounting how the perspective he achieved climbing the mountain encouraged him to quit his job and start his own business from scratch.
Beyond life-changing experiences, speakers reminded attendees that they need not even leave Cairo to help the cause. Mustafa asked those present to donate their time as well, at one of the Right to Live Association’s centres, where intellectually handicapped adults are trained in basic skills including baking, bamboo and wicker work, and sewing. She invited people to give up their time volunteering at one of the centres, or just to come and buy some of the products produced there.
For the Right to Live Association, all support is crucial. In the thirty years since the charity was founded, life in Egypt is still extremely difficult for disabled people.
“They are extremely marginalised by the state which is dreadful,” Safi explained. “Even worse, they are more often than not ostracised by society, kept hidden in homes and not given the chance to enjoy life to the fullest and get all the rights they deserve. It breaks your heart when you see how respectfully they are treated in more civilised countries, and here it’s like they almost don’t exist.”
