CAIRO: During a day dedicated to peace all around the world, a group of Egyptian teenagers decided to do their part in promoting peace and charity. “I have a lot of variables to deal with, maybe even more than most people my age around the world,” says Rana Emad, a Hayah International Academy senior, in a video shown at the International Day of Peace event. The theme for the night was “Peace through Tourism,” but the underlying theme that seemed to be reiterated throughout the event were the variables of everyday life. The variables that everyone deals with as well as the way they help one another. The event was organized by students at Hayah International Academy and Great Wonders of Egypt Tours, who make up the organization “We Irmih El Bahr.” The students donned shirts that read “Not in my country” as they greeted guests coming into the event as part of their new campaign that is meant to show that they will not accept the unacceptable anymore. Those apart of the campaign are trying to “clean up” Egypt's image and raise the standards that the country has at the moment. “A lot of people want to help, but don't know how or where to go,” said Nada Ismail, a senior at Hayah International Academy and volunteer with “We Irmih El Bahr.” “The organization is an outlet that they can use to do that and tries to get people excited to do good,” said Ismail. The volunteers used the event to gather school/student representatives, organizations and funders all in one place to network for various philanthropic causes as a step towards peace in Egypt. The group launched their website (www.irmihelbahr.org) on the day of the event coinciding with the United Nations “International Day of Peace.” “I sincerely encourage anyone willing to help, or even just curious, to look at the site as well as utilize it,” commented Hoda Rashad, founder of “We Irmih El Bahr” and education consultant. Rashad said that the organization came from a core concept to provide a practical solution to bring people together for the greater good of others in need. “We get involved and go to places such as orphanages to help with the kids and medical institutes to see the patients,” said Basma Hatem, another senior at Hayah International Academy and volunteer with “We Irmih El Bahr.” “This is such a new experience and we actually feel like we're giving back and helping people,” says Hatem. Volunteers have gone to the Abu El Rish village in Aswan to help build houses and acquire ways to get fresh water after the flash floods in January 2010. They have also visited and helped at orphanages in Luxor. “Without the help of those from Hayah International Acdemy's owner, Hisham El Seweidy, and the academy's co-founders, Mohamed Magdy and Abeya Fathy, and Manal Kelig from Great Wonders of Egypt, none of this could be possible,” commented Rashad. “This was once just an idea and now with everyone's help, including the students, it has become a reality.”
