Support in a Time of Crisis

A LETTER FROM EGYPT

by Simone Abdel Malek, D.C.

In Egypt’s ancient city of Alexandria there is an and highly lethal pandemic. Should COVID continue area called Saba Banat (“Seven Girls”), a quarter its rapid spread, we fear it will be only a matter of associated with the arrival of seven religious time before the health crisis becomes a political one sisters who, in 1844, established a new mission as well. dedicated to their founder, St. Vincent de Paul. I am Tens of thousands of poor families have been Sister Simone Abdel Malek, a Daughter of Charity, affected in Alexandria by the closing of all shops and I work within that mission that today includes a and markets, schools and universities. Losing their school, an orphanage, a dispensary and the sisters’ only source of income — especially among day community. laborers — has made it impossible for families to

Our modest 4,300-square-foot dispensary buy essential goods or pay their household provides medical services to some 800 patients expenses, such as electricity bills, water and gas, a day — and sometimes as many as 1,000. We rent and even required medications. Governmentserve those who live in imposed quarantines and such economic poverty curfews have curtailed they cannot afford the cost of medical services. “Our joy and trust in the access to necessary supplies — masks and disinfectants Here, however, they have Lord in the midst of this — which are difficult to access to ophthalmology, physical therapy, dentistry, pandemic will help show find and expensive, too. As we live through this cardiology, pediatrics, orthopedics, dermatology, radiology, ultrasound the path for doing the same in all our works.” nightmare, which we share with much of the whole world, we Daughters of examinations, laboratory Charity have come together testing and more. And to support those whose thanks to CNEWA’s support, we have upgraded the poverty deepens. We began distributing food dispensary’s dentistry and ear, nose and throat packages to orphans, lonely elderly men and facilities, providing better care to our patients. women, the ill, the unemployed, and more. We

The coronavirus has arrived in Egypt, striking a assisted in the distribution of food coupons to those fragile health care system and infecting a population families most in need, typically between 100 and already struggling to cope with a long-troubled 200 Egyptian pounds, or the equivalent of $6 to $12 economy. There is a shortage of doctors, nurses, U.S. dollars, for items such as bread, meat, fish or drugs, medical supplies and beds, leaving the health medicine not available in our pharmacy. Moreover, care system ill-equipped to manage a fast-moving we issued medications for chronic illnesses, and even blankets to those who have none. A certified nurse, Sister Simone Abdel Malek leads Throughout this pandemic, we have been the Daughters of Charity community in Alexandria preparing hot meals for all our employees, who for and directs the Saba Banat dispensary. the purpose of precaution have been divided into

two groups, each coming three days a week.

At the school, employees and teachers are being paid their full salaries, even if they no longer work full time at school; teachers come in groups according to classes, prepare their materials with the principal and the sisters and publish it on the school’s website. From time to time, teachers use social media to reach out to their students, providing instruction, counsel and hope. Unfortunately, many of our poor students do not have access to a computer or the web at home, so instead they come to the school in very small groups, where a teacher is always available to help them with their studies and homework.

Our community of sisters has intensified their hours of prayers for the salvation of the whole world. They pray for the departed who have succumbed to the virus and those people who continue their battle; for their loved ones who are quarantined, and thus separated from one another; and

for those who are afraid and anxious, so God may give them the strength to overcome these hard times.

We have prepared many recreational sessions for the sisters in order to improve their state of mind, so they will respectively help and reassure others, and never lose sight of God’s will. We also send text messages through all social media platforms to our employees, friends and all those who need words of encouragement and reassurance.

Sum audit acea consed ut qui omni ommolut omni ommolut volor ad ute te volor ad ute poritio te.

Due to the situation, we have limited access to the dispensary — especially by our aged sisters — so as to prevent the spread of the virus. On the dispensary premises, only recently have we received someone who tested positive with the coronavirus. The 35-year-old-woman had only mild symptoms when our medical personnel administered the P.C.R. test. When we reviewed the results, we transferred her to a hospital immediately, as our dispensary lacks the preventive equipment and isolation rooms necessary to treat patients with the virus. Knowing the difficult financial position of her husband, who is also quarantined and following all protective measures related to COVID-19, the dispensary has covered all her medical expenses at the hospital, where she is recovering.

We, the Daughters of Charity, are following the words of God, giving our own personal goods to help the poor, no matter their faith. This social-distancing situation will help us be at our best when society begins to reopen — for ourselves,

Sister Simone Abdel Malek conducts daily rounds at the Saba Banat dispensary.

our families, our friends. Our joy and trust in the Lord in the midst of this pandemic will help show the path for doing the same in all our works. We all have our roles — we can show the love of God, our creator, by the way we live our lives. Thus, our role is to help people to see better, to trust more and to know peace where anxiety may be running out of control. n