"Are you sure this is the right place? It is a dangerous neighbourhood!"

Our Uber driver dropped us off at the side of the road, as we had asked him to do. He had already started to drive off, but stopped and opened his window to warn us. We assured him that this really was the right location and we walked down some little steps next to the highway.

Indeed... Ezbet Khairallah wasn’t a place for us to explore alone, but the driver’s warning was at odds with our experience in the neighbourhood. With over 1,000,000 inhabitants, Ezbet Khairallah is one of the largest and most densely populated informal settlements in Caïro. The local people have been living under the constant threat of having their homes demolished and the illegal status of ‘El Ezbah’ (as it’s become known) has also deprived locals of basic utilities such as running water, electricity or even a functional sewage system.

Each morning before the training started we sat outside to plan the day’s schedule and enjoy the beautiful sunshine, which soon turned into making music with local children and drinking tea with our neighbours! Perhaps the Uber driver should join us next time…

The theme of the week was ‘non-verbal leadership’ and everyday the participants practiced their personal leadership skills on the rest of the group. Starting with leading a simple clap, the trainees became non-verbal leaders using signs, call and response, mirroring and other sound and movement-based games, to create music without any verbal instruction.

As well as the development of leadership skills, the trainees composed songs inspired by the ‘secret powers’ within the group and the neighbourhood itself. They went into the street to speak to people within the community, returning with powerful and inspiring stories which formed the basis of the songs. One elderly lady expressed that the youth volunteers themselves were the secret power of the neighbourhood. A young boy shared his story about the work he had to do, to earn money for his family. These stories resulted in moving lyrics about the wisdom of the old, and the power of the young.

On the fourth day of training we experienced a huge positive transformation in the perceived vulnerability of the group. During the ‘check in’ emotions were now out in the open and everyone felt secure within the group. Everyone had taken responsibility to create a safe space together, where they could fully express ourselves. This bonding was exactly what was needed before diving into the final day’s workshop and performance with the local children and teenagers. In these moments you really need to feel the support of the group, and it was a great success!

We performed on the neighbourhood's stage which we’d wanted to do from the very beginning. There was so much fun and energy with everyone singing songs, performing cool body percussion rhythms, and our trainees demonstrating their non-verbal leadership skills throughout.

It was interesting to hear that the majority of the sharing during the final ‘check out’ was not actually about the work with the children, but in fact about the trainees’ personal feelings and growth within the group. They felt supported, trusted, empowered and able to break some of their (inner) boundaries. 

"I feel comfortable in this circle. When I share something vulnerable I don't worry about it at home as I would normally do. I trust my sharing is safe in this group." 

"The training is a space for me to let go of my negative energy."