Update: on the 21st of November, I returned from the 14 Days and 202 km (not 150!) hike. Hosted by 5 Bedouin tribes walking through their diverse lands and rich culture and history, I passed by Wadi Sahu and saw Umm Yasser and the other ladies*. As usual, I was treated like family and over countless cups of tea, the ladies chatted away and it wasn’t long until the monster came up: access to healthcare.

An incident of a woman I personally know with undiagnosed kidney pain turned away with no explanation and just some pills and another of a young man fainting after taking 3 anesthesia injections for a tooth extraction, I am now more determined to bring them the medical care they deserve.

Convoy scheduled for the 8th of February 2020, GP visit arrangements during January in the making, the Bedouins of Serabit are already talking about it with the hopes of finally getting quality medical attention. Thanks to your contributions, we are getting closer to our target. We can't simply make it to our GBP 4,300 goal without your support. Please help us make this happen!

With lots of love,

Leena

*But for Umm Yasser, other Bedouin guides cannot be quoted by name as per their request - Names have been changed.

Original Fundraiser Post:

Hi, my name is Leena Elsamra, an Egyptian banker residing in Cairo and a relative newbie to serious hiking.

On the 7th of November 2019, I’ll be embarking on my first long trek, a 150km hike in South Sinai with the Sinai Trail (https://www.facebook.com/sinaitrail/ ) to raise funds for a medical convoy for the highly admirable and perseverant people of Serabit El Khadim (https://goo.gl/maps/BuvPmVB7ByaGqDYr6 ), a province in South Sinai that is home to four proud Bedouin tribes. My hike will start from St. Catherine’s, home to the famed St. Catherine’s Monastery and the highest peak in Egypt, heading towards my beloved Serabit. Through this hike, my goal is to reach the first milestone of EUR 5,000.

During the past 6 months, I grew closer to the people of Serabit after first meeting them on the very first women-led hike in Sinai in March 2019 where I’ve seen kindness, humility, perseverance and gratitude in its purest form, but I also saw struggling on economic, health, educational and identity grounds. With your support, I am looking to give them a glimpse of hope for their medical well-being through fundraising to make a medical convoy a reality on the 8th of February 2020. The medical convoy has a patient reach of 600+ Bedouin women, children and men from the Serabit’s resident tribes: Al Hamada, Al Sawalha, Alegat and the Muzeina.

Photo Credits: Amro Tawfic, Wadi Sahu - Serabit, July 2019

Convoy Details: The convoy and subsequent medical referrals have a total cost of EUR 24,000/EGP 587,700 (detailed cost chart below). Cost includes: 1) GP visit to tribes 2-3 weeks in advance of medical convoy for patient data gathering and confirmation of needed specialties; 2) medical convoy (mobilizing 13 specialties, volunteers and equipment + general mother & child hygiene and dental awareness sessions + medications); and 3) expected referrals for 50 cases for treatment in Cairo including free of charge operations/extensive treatment.

Some good news! The fundraiser is eligible for the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD)’s community initiative, meaning 1 EUR is matched by another EUR if I manage to reach a minimum of EUR 3,000 i.e. the fundraiser’s total target is EUR 12,000! (https://www.ebrd.com/who-we-are-ebrd-community-initiative.html )

Photo Credits: Julie Peterson, Women-led Hike Wadi Sahu - Serabit, Mar'19

Economic Situation in Serabit: The area suffers from a lack of economic resources and job opportunities also mostly missing out on income from the tourism sector due to mistakenly being associated with the cordoned-off area in the top North of the Sinai Peninsula.

Need for Medical Convoy: Serabit has just one clinic with one resident doctor that lacks even the most basic medical equipment, medications and vaccines. Located in a remote area coupled with their economic situation, medical visits that are troublesome, tiring and expensive are more frequently than not postponed until it’s too late. Within those circumstances, the simplest medical conditions can aggravate turning into chronic illnesses and disabilities such as the recent case of Abdallah, a 13 year old boy, who had his leg amputated after suffering from a treatable deep wound but not getting the needed medical attention!

The medical convoy has been in the works since June'19 after I reached out to Ibrahim A. Badran Foundation, an Egyptian NGO delivering healthcare serviced to marginalized communities in Egypt, and Sinai Trail’s Co-founder, Ben Hoffler, to help make this medical convoy happen. Both parties reacted with great enthusiasm. Links to the NGO's profile to learn more about their services and admirable track record. https://badranfoundation.com https://www.facebook.com/BadranFoundation/ How Can you help?

1. By donating to the fundraiser to make this dream a reality;

2. By taking part in the upcoming Sinai Trail thru hike or one of their shorter hikes to help provide the Bedouins with a decent source of income; and/or

3. By sharing this fundraiser so more people can be part of this journey!

What appears to be a big number is nothing when compared to people uniting for a cause! Remember, no small amount is insignificant (1+1=2)!

Please note that the donation payment will include a suggested contribution to JustGiving for its services; the contribution is not mandatory and is adjustable i.e. not fixed.

Photo Credits: Judy Hassan, Women-led hike, Wadi Sahu - Serabit, Mar'19

With this, I hope you can make this wish come true by donating, sharing and/or better checking out the trail yourself!

Best,

Leena

P.S. I include below the links to an article covering Sinai Trail's hike that marks my first encounter with the lovely people of Serabit and a few pictures from the hike in Mar’19 and my visit to Serabit in Jul’19.

https://apimagesblog.com/blog/2019/4/9/in-a-first-bedouin-women-lead-tours-in-egypts-sinai

March 2019 - Wadi Sahu, Serabit El Khadim:

July 2019 - Serabit El Khadim: