In Egypt the cold weather is met by the warmest of hearts in basic acts of human kindness. Youth initiatives have sprung up to help people stay warm this winter, among them “The Guy With the Blanket,” a project set up by Abdel-Rahman. Abdel-Rahman roams the streets of Cairo with his friend Hamza Al-Khatib, armed with blankets in search of homeless people to donate them to. El-Dafa Affa (Being warm is a bliss), is a similar initiative, run by college students. The Awareness, Services and Charity Club (ASCC) at Misr International University tries to help disadvantaged people, says Amr Al-Baghdady, 20, ASCC president. He says that the club distributed 382 blankets to homeless people during the recent spell of cold weather. “We announced that donors could call us to offer blankets, and members of the club were responsible for gathering donations from the districts they live in,” Al-Baghdady said. The blankets were distributed in the Al-Marg district of Cairo and in Shibin Al-Qanater in the Qalubiyya governorate. The group targeted particular families, after local people identified those who were most in need. Besides blankets, the ASCC also provides heavy clothes, scarves and gloves to those in need in the streets, especially people who have to work in the early mornings or late at night. The Resala charity has also started what it calls the “Fighting Cold Troops” campaign. Hanaa Hassan, 25, a director of Resala, said the idea began after reports that some people had died in the streets due to the cold weather. The campaign started in December 2014 and will end in March 2015. It has helped 300 people in Alexandria, Cairo and Giza, including in Faisal, Mohandiseen, 6 October, Heliopolis, Nasr City, Moqattam, Maadi and Helwan. People behind bars have also been remembered by the Bard Al-Zanazeen (Cold in Prison Cells) campaign that sends scarves, socks, gloves and blankets to imprisoned people. “Anything that eases the prison's darkness and helps to warm people up is welcome,” the campaign's Facebook page says. Another campaign is Satr wa Ghata, organised by the charity Ommar Al-Ard, which helps to build shelters and distribute blankets in villages. The campaign started with the cold weather Egypt suffered in the winter of 2013-2014. Tens of thousands of poor families living in houses with ceilings made of woven textiles and palm fronds were not adequately protected from the rain and cold. The writer is a freelance journalist.
