Sherine

#independent

#a_beautiful_smile

"They didn't believe the good things they heard about me. They thought that I was going to fail."

“I can’t accept the idea of living without having Goals.”

Sherine loves coffee and reading more than anything in the world. She practices boxing and loves to draw and research weird new things. She taught herself time management and planning for bigger goals. She studied Social Services and finished a diploma in mental health, and one of her dreams is to establish a center specialized in rehabilitation and family relationships. She’s a reflective person who thinks deeply before answering any question. With a beautiful smile and optimism, she faces her challenges to prove herself capable of reaching her target. Her latest and biggest challenge was leaving the care home and becoming independent; being a girl made them totally reject the idea. She says: “Only a few girls welcome the idea of being independent, even though it’s a really important step.”

She left her orphanage in Meet Ghamr to work in another one in Al-Mansoura. She was qualified to work as a specialist with Resala Organization. Shortly after, her boss recommended her for a specialized training that qualifies her to work with children with disabilities. That’s how she found Sanad, which helped in organizing and facilitating the training.

“My whole personality… my whole life, developed.”

Through one of her friends, Sherine knew about Mobader (The Initiator), a community leadership program organized by Sanad. It raised her curiosity; she loved exploring new zones and wanted to advocate for her own personal cause. She expresses how thrilled she was when she got accepted and says “I hadn't realized how big a step it was, but I had a feeling that this was huge.”

Sherine was alone in her team, after her mates had dropped out of the program. She wasn’t sure she could work on a whole project and execute a campaign all by herself, but she was supported by Sanad and the other teams in the program . . . "They encouraged me, they helped me develop my skills, which made me continue on my own."

Her project in Mobader was about education which wasn't a priority to most young orphans, she clarifies and says "They would study just to get a certificate and leave the orphanage, not for self-development or any visions for the future." Sherine was excited, she built a network of supporters, who were actually her sisters in the orphanage. She would usually go home and tell them about her work in Mobader. They believed in what she did and became her team, only after the 4th session in Mobader. All her anxiety and shyness turned into enthusiasm and confidence. About that incident she says "It was such a unique experience, Sanad's team worked on my points of weakness. I would usually freeze while addressing an audience, but in the end, I continued, and it ended peacefully."

"From that day on, I want to be with Sanad in each and everything."

Through Sanad, Sherine was one of the youth who participated in the Community Dialogue held by the Ministry of Social Solidarity while drafting laws related to aftercare. Sherine describes this experience as life changing . . . "Anyone who had attended these events , turned from being too scared to being certain that independence is a necessity, and that it's only a phase."

After being a part of the discussion in the ministry, she started to advocate for independence, personal responsibility, and self-reliance. Through these discussions she realized something . . . "The problem was that we were not brought up to embrace independence. This has to change."

Sherine announced war as soon as she announced her decision to leave . . . "It took them time to accept it. They would bring me down and say that I'm not going to add any value." At that same moment, Sherine was welcomed in her new work-place and home, impressing everyone with her qualifications and social skills. She was able to bring the girls closer to her in such a short time, and she was able to execute her plans. In the end, comes a plot twist, as Sherine now works in the orphanage where grew up, applying her knowledge, and helping younger girls, after her family had finally acknowledged her talents and abilities.