Dorm residents fight hunger in Egypt
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| Youssef Abdelaal /CARAVAN STAFF GUYS AND GALS: Students compete in the Pound War by adding money to these jars. |
Students at the American University in Cairo (AUC) hostel in Zamalek donated more than LE500 to help fight hunger in Egypt as part of the new annual Spirit Week, which began on March 7.
The week was organized by Residence Life, a program that organizes extracurricular activities for dorm students, and the Egyptian Food Bank.
According to Abeer Barbary, female residents director at the hostel, the program is designed to help develop the students as individuals, in addition to developing the community around them.
The students are encouraged to donate money through a “Pound War,” where two jars, one for males and one for females, have been set up in each of the three AUC residences; Kenzi, Cairo Khan, both located downtown, and the AUC dorm in Zamalek.
“It feels good to see that people are giving what they can and doing what they can to help their community,” said Rabee Kotob, resident advisor at the Zamalek dorms.
Spirit Week began as a more elaborate version of the hostel’s 15-year-old bi-annual yard sale. Students can donate lightly used shoes, clothing, and anything else that can be sold at a yard sale. Residence Life then sells these items at a very cheap price and donates the proceeds to a charity organization.
“Many of the customers are the custodians, the security guards and other staff in the dorms. They are getting access to things they would not normally be able to buy. The students love it because they feel the difference they are making,” said Barbary.
Spirit Week has also included events such as trips, bread-making competitions, soccer matches, movie nights, and other activities. “We wanted the students to feel like they are being pampered,” said Barbary.
According to Alexander Guindy, male residents director and an MBA student at AUC, an average of 20-25 students have attended each event. Even with the stress of mid-terms, students were excited about the events and competitions and a feeling of community could be felt in the dorms, he added.
“I love that there is a family atmosphere during the week,” said Mostafa El Saba, sophomore resident in the Zamalek dorm.