El-Mothalath

Posted on By 3arabawy

Kafr Elw Kids أطفال كفر علو
I went together with some blogger friends to an iftar and hung out briefly yesterday with the Kafr Elw residents, in their new flats in Helwan’s El-Mothalath neighborhood. Everyone is full of joy, power and self-confidence following months of victorious struggle to force the government into compensating them for their demolished homes.

I first met Om Abdu during the (largely women) protest in Abdeen Sq. in December of last year.

Kafr Elw women protesting in Abdeen نساء كفر علو يتظاهرون بعابدين

For sure Om Abdu last evening was a different woman.

Om Abdu أم عبده

She was hypermanic, showering me and other activist bloggers with hugs and kisses, pulling us from one flat to another, showing us with pride their new places, shouting loudly at her shy son who didn’t want to be photographed initially. “Come and show the world your new home ya wad!” yelled Om Abdu.

Kafr Elw residents أهالي كفر علو

The only concern the Kafr Elw residents have now is that though they received their keys and fully settled in their new flats, they have not received yet their official ownership contracts. “We were told either mid or end of Ramadan we’ll get them,” said Om Abdu. “We still haven’t heard back from them (Helwan Governorate). We hope to receive them by Eid.”

Kafr Elw residents أهالي كفر علو

University profs say no practical steps taken towards pay-scheme

Posted on By 3arabawy

Sarah Carr reports:

A university professor has said that he has seen “no clear indication” that funds are being allocated to a performance-related pay scheme introduced in June.
“So far there is no clear indication that any money is being given to professors,” Amr El-Darrag, vice-chairman of the Egyptian University Faculty Club — which represents the interests of teaching staff in the absence of a union — told Daily News Egypt.
“The scheme is meant to begin in October but no practical steps have been taken towards this,” El-Darrag continued.
Laila Soueif, a professor of mathematics confirmed this.
“Within my department at Cairo University we haven’t even received the papers concerning the scheme,” she said.
“Even assistants — who were promised pay increases in the form of a sort of research grant — haven’t been paid these raises, which they were meant to receive in July and August,” Soueif continued.
In June the Supreme Council of Universities (SCU), a governmental body made up of university presidents and the Minister of Higher Education presented a draft of an elective scheme under which teaching staff who satisfy certain conditions receive increases in pay.
The scheme was heavily criticized by the club, which is calling for across the board improvements in pay and conditions.
On March 23, professors launched a historic one-day strike with members of the University Autonomy Group, reporting high turnout throughout Egyptian universities.
Popularly known as the March 9 Movement, the group of Cairo University professors presses for university autonomy and academic freedom.
The strike came just days after Prime Minister Ahmad Nazif rejected teaching staff’s demands for across-the-board pay rises. He instead offered them wage increases in the form of allowances, and encouraged them to apply for the performance-related pay scheme.