Suddenly, she found herself alone, without work, and responsible for her children. The problems started seven years ago when Um Bassem, a humble housewife living in a poor district, lost her husband, leaving her with their four children to raise on her own. But, being a strong Egyptian woman, she managed to overcome all her difficulties, by doing a training course in plumbing. She passed the course and is now the most well-known plumber in the Darb Al-Ahmar district of Islamic Cairo. Um Bassem's story is being used as material for the ‘Work is like Worshipping' initiative, launched by a group of young people in a bid to banish the spectre of unemployment from Egypt. This determined housewife was present at a recent seminar, organised by the initiative and held in El-Sawy Cultural Centre in Zamalek. There, she told her story to the attendees, including human resources expert Ihab Maged, who then discussed the very important lessons young people can learn from Um Bassem's experience. Like millions of poor Egyptian housewives, Um Bassem somehow managed to make ends meet, as she strove to feed her husband and their four children. But then their sole breadwinner died. “They were very bad days. I felt that my children and I were going to be lost, but thank God I found the solution," she recalls with tears in her eyes. “Then one day, I needed some plumbing done and I felt very angry at having to let a strange men into our home to fix the problem. So I thought to myself, why don't I try and do it myself?" Um Bassem decided to train as a plumber and she found the ideal course, organised by a German agency. She applied, got accepted and passed. This marked a big turning point in her life. “I was the only woman among 20 men. Despite the ribald remarks they made, I stuck at it and passed. Many householders, especially women, much prefer getting me rather than a man to deal with their leaks," stresses Um Bassem, who is now the proud owner of two shops that sell plumbing accessories. Maged, the human resources expert, has found Um Bassem's story very useful for explaining to young people the importance of getting to know themselves better and pinpointing their strengths and abilities. “Knowing your abilities is very important. We must try and banish negative thoughts from our minds if we want to take a positive step forwards," he stresses.
