Al-Nour Wal Amal helps blind girls achieve personal fulfillment CAIRO: Many a night these girls rehearse for hours on end in preparation for their musical concert. These young talents are special not only for their gift of music, but also for their ability to have the strength to perform in front of the world in spite of their blindness. Al-Nour Wal Amal Association (Light and Hope) is a non-governmental organization founded in the early '50s to ensure the rights of blind girls by giving them free education, vocational training, literacy programs and then job opportunities. They also put emphasis on developing talents and physical health to allow them to form their own identities and become independent and active members of society. In 1961, music was introduced to the school by the first president of the association Istiklal Radi. The association at the time was providing basic education. With the help of Samha El-Kholy, professor emeritus and former dean of Cairo Conservatoire and former president of the Academy of Arts, the institute was established on an academic basis to allow the girls to learn to express themselves through music. Girls who attend the Music Institute learn to play an orchestral musical instrument or to sing. They receive a double education: they attend the formal national educational program at the association's school in the morning and the Music Institute program in the afternoon. In this program, the girls study all aspects of music theory, harmony, ear-training as well as learning to read music in Braille. The institute's staff consists of qualified professors from the Cairo Conservatory of Music, the College of Music Education of Helwan University, and the Cairo Symphony Orchestra. After graduation from the Music Institute, some of the most talented students join the Cairo Conservatory of Music to obtain higher degrees in the performance of their instruments. Some of them become music teachers at different schools. In the '70s a new wing was established after they received a generous donation. The new addition provides rooms for girls who live outside of Cairo to stay the night in.In 1997, the association was granted consultative status with the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) at the United Nations in recognition of the association's achievements in helping the blind. Catch the performance tonight at the French Culture Center at 7:00 p.m. tonight, Madrasset Al-Huquq Al-Franseya Street, Mounira, Cairo. Al-Nour Wal Amal Association is an Egyptian non-governmental organization, with headquarters at 16 Abou Bakr El-Seddik Street, Heliopolis, Cairo. They have four branches around Cairo. For more information about the association check their Web site: http://www.alnourwalamal.org/
