Veni Vidi Vici

More or less.

Either way, our DukeEngage adventure has now concluded. Or at least this stage. At this point I don't feel that my thoughts have had proper time to gestate enough for me to construct a coherent reflection of the last two months. However I think it is necessary to collect some initial reactions to what has probably been the most intensely formative two months of my short two decades.

For now though, I want to share one experience that provides a culminating reference point for my DukeEngage experience.

Last week, after finishing our teaching program at St. Andrew's, the girls' organized a woman's empowerment workshop. Naturally, the boys were not allowed. On the second day I received a phone call from my friend Liz saying that one of my girls (whom I had taught during the main project) really wanted to see me again. She expected for me to be at the workshop, and when she discovered that this was not a possibility she was apparently quite distraught.

So I rushed back from a meeting in Heliopolis and visited the workshop site -- Prof. Lo's apartment. The second I arrived at the door Sahro popped out with a huge smile and greeted me with her newly-acquired English. Saying goodbye to my new friend was nigh impossible ... I realized that despite all potential shortcomings we had developed a true friendship over the last six weeks. Sahro said she was so sad that she would not see me for a long time -- I expressed similar concerns, but with the hope that we would cross paths again. We said the same things over and over again, as if repeating them would make it easier to part. It was clear that she was holding back tears several times, and I admit to shed a few in the elevator when leaving the building.

Sahro told me that she loved the summer program and loved having me as her teacher. She told me she hopes to stay in touch and see me again some day. She said that will miss me very much. I couldn't agree more.

Did I come, see, and conquer? The first two without question. But the third? Definitely not. Rather, I was conquered.

I lived in Africa for two months, engaged several independent projects, and emerged something distinctly different from where I began. Moreover, I know that this experience gave me unfathomably valuable perspectives that would not have been available elsewhere. Many the function of Cairo, our team, and our studies -- but mostly the result of my friendship with our Somalians.

I didn't teach Sahro, she taught me.

And as they say in Arabic,

التعليم من المهد إلى اللهد

"learning is from the cradle to the grave"