DOWN SYNDROME DAY

On Friday the 22^nd of March, Rotaract Dokki participated in organizing and running “World Down Syndrome Day” great event together with Rotaract Alex Cosmo and many volunteers like “Nebny” foundation.

The event was located in Al Rehab city, in Detutch Future School. The day was awesome despite the awful sand storm and the relatively low outcome of volunteers due to the awful weather conditions. We gathered at the school around 9:30 pm and we were divided into different teams. There were teams for different age groups, each team was responsible for  about 3 to 6 children. Each “age” team leader, members, and children wore a wrist ribbon of a special color.

 There were other teams for game stations and teams for organizing. My team was kids from 3 to 6 years J The kids were awesome, Ahmed, Esraa Ossama the naughty one, and Youssef

We started with the magician show, then the kids were allowed to pass through different game stations after which they spent a big time in the playg round of the school with swings, slides and see-saws .

The kids had lunch afterwards and the day passed smoothly. An awareness session was given to the kids’ families at the beginning of the day which was really awesome.

 

For me on a personal side, the day was outstandingly marvelous J I had fun, and I wish we’d organize more events concerning kids with special needs in general.

Mai G. El-Hennawy

Rotaract Dokki Garden City

Biking to promote road safety :)

Friday 8 March 2013, Rotaract dokki organized such a wonderful trip with coordination with 4bike. The route was around the area of Zamalek, the idea of riding a bike was to practice sports all of us and also promote road safety cause during our ride. To promote the cause, we stick the signs at the front of the bike to let people learn some warning/road safety signs that may not recognized by most of drivers. 
There were unexpected number of participants from Rotaractors & other non-rotaractors, we were around 80 bikes. Most of the people were encouraged about the Idea and interested to know more about rotaract dokki garden city. 
We were stopped by different people in the street, wondering about what we are doing? Questioning us about this campaign, and how they can participate. Between them, a police officer who encouraged us about taking this move, stated that Egypt will be changing when every Egyptian does his own role and participate in solving the community problem and this is what rotaractors are trying so hard to understand the community and do a corrective action towards. 
For me, the experience was incredible because of Four things:- Biking after very long time, New experience with my favorite friends, meeting new fellows in service & walking up 6 AM to show up early!
On behalf of Rotaract Dokki Garden city, we would like to thank all who came Rotaractors or none.. Special thanks to Rotaract Club of Gezira Sporting, Rotaract Club of Sun Rise, Rotaract Club of Nasr City & Rotaract Club of Horus Heliopolis.

Looking forward seeing you in Next trip
Regards,
Shaimaa Hatem
Club Service Director

Meeting with " 350.ORG "

 On Tuesday the 12th of February, 2013 we had a meeting with Mr.Mohamed Barakat the representative of the Organization of  " 350 " ; or as he prefers to describe it " 350 Movement "



350.org was founded by U.S. author Bill McKibben, who wrote one of the first books on global warming for the general public, and a team of university friends.


350.org is building a global grassroots movement to solve the climate crisis

350.org works hard to organize in a new way—everywhere at once, using online tools to facilitate strategic offline action.
350 means climate safety. To preserve our planet, scientists tell us we must reduce the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere from its current level of 392 parts per million to below 350 ppm. But 350 is more than a number—it's a symbol of where we need to head as a planet.

 we hope we can join them soon in a joint project through which we can serve our community.......

http://350.org/

Rotaractly yours

Ghada El-Ashry

Community Service Director

"Origami Night :) "

hello dear fellows in service

last Tuesday during our weekly meeting we had a new lovely extraordinary experience;
An Origami Session, conducted by our sweet guest Nirvan Talha the founder of  Waraqat

Each one of us learned how to do a colourful shirt with a tie and a framed boat :)

 

Video Showing to do a shirt with a tie

 

 

Video Showing how to do a framed boat

 

 

but actually; what is Origami ? What's its origin ?

Origami (pronounced or-i-GA-me) is the Japanese art of paperfolding. "Ori" is the Japanese word for folding and "kami" is the Japanese word for paper. That is how origami got its name. However, origami did not start in Japan. It began in China in the first or second century and then spread to Japan sometime during the sixth century. At first, there was very little paper available so only the rich could afford to do paperfolding. The Japanese found useful purposes for their origami. For example, the Samurai (sa-MURE-ay) would exchange gifts with a form known as a noshi  (NO-shee). This was a paper folded with a strip of dried fish or meat. It was considered a good luck token. Also, the Shinto Noblemen would celebrate weddings by wrapping glasses of sake or rice wine in butterfly forms that had been folded to represent the bride and groom. As easier papermaking methods were developed, paper became less expensive. Origami became a popular art for everyone, no matter if they were rich or poor. However, the Japanese people have always been very careful not to waste anything. They have always saved even the tiniest scraps of paper and used them for folding origami models.  For centuries there were no written directions for folding origami models. The directions were taught to each generation and then handed down to the next. This form of art became part of the cultural heritage of the Japanese people. In 1797, How to Fold 1000 Cranes was published. This book contained the first written set of origami instructions which told how to fold a crane. The crane was considered a sacred bird in Japan. It was a Japanese custom that if a person folded 1000 cranes, they would be granted one wish. Origami became a very popular form of art as shown by the well-known Japanese woodblock print that was made in 1819 entitled "A Magician Turns Sheets of Birds". This print shows birds being created from pieces of paper.  In 1845 another book, Window on Midwinter, was published which included a collection of approximately 150 origami models. This book introduced the model of the frog which is a very well known model even today. With the publication of both these books, the folding of origami became recreation in Japan.  Not only were the Japanese folding paper, but the Moors, who were from Africa, brought paperfolding with them to Spain when they invaded that country in the eighth century. The Moors used paperfolding to create geometric figures because their religion prohibited them from creating animal forms. From Spain it spread to South America. As trade routes were developed, the art of origami was introduced to Europe and later the United States.  Today, master paperfolders can be found in many places around the world. Akira Yoshizawa of Japan is one of these. He is considered the "father of modern origami" because of his creative paperfolding. He also developed a set of symbols and terms that are used worldwide in the written instructions of origami.  The interest in origami continues to increase today. Just as the ancient Japanese found useful purposes for their origami models, so do we today. Origami will also be a part of our future as we look toward the millennium. The origami crane has become a global peace symbol.   Thank you Rotaractly yours Nourhanne Barakat

" Fajr El Tanweer for Blind People "

We always have this misconcept about blind people, that they have a disability that holds them from acting as normal members in our society; that they can’t manage visual or written missions an ordinary man can do except with Braille method …..

Inorder to help erase this misconcept and shed the light on these people we decided that our serive project for this year should cover this area.

During our 1^st visit to "Fagr El-Tanweer" organization all we had in mind is just trying to help them doing small stuff ; but we were really astonished with their minds, abilities, visions & attitude ……

Smiles never leave their faces; they are open minded with so many goals for a better future.

However in the 2^nd visit we knew exactly what were their real problems and how can we help. Starting with the small computer lab that can serve 12 prsns /session. PCs were delivered to them by the Ministry of Communication but can’t work properly as the devices are not updated or maintained…..

We started to setup windows for the computers; upgrade the working computers and separte them from the old and malfunctioning ones.
After finishing the Computer Lab we started to check the rest of the devices in the place to see if they are ok and we found out they were tool old to be prepared.

We left also copies from CDS (Windows, and other programs) so they can use them any time …..

At the end they asked us if we can help them with the Braille printers as the ones they already have are very old & the new ones are very expensive; they cost about 40,000 L.E /unit

Guys , we encourage you to help them keep going , stay always updated & in touch with the society. Kindly find their website below :)



http://www.fajraltanweer.org/arabic/index.asp

Rotaractly yours

Community Service Committee

"A New Start: Meeting Tuesday 01/01/2013"

 
    We were lucky enough that our weekly meeting fell on the 1st of January, 2013. It was supposed to be an Origami Session but on New Year's Eve the instructor called and apologized asking to postpone it to the next week.

    As the Club's President i was in big trouble; i had not prepared any agenda and i had to send them an agenda as soon as possible. After some thinking i had this thought in mind; The meeting will be on the very first day of the year and since probably most of us are going to write our resolutions then why dont we share them together and help each other keep them ?!

    So here we were: The agenda of the first meeting of the year was this (This is exactly what i sent them):

Dokkiweya;
>
>   Its a new year, a new beginning. Im glad we'll start this year 
> together.
> So what about a new and fresh start ???
>
> Our agenda for tomorrow's meeting is very simple. You only have to 
> think
> of an answer to one question
>
> "What are your resolutions for the new year on the personal and 
> Rotaract
> level?"
>
> We are one family now, we can help each other keep these resolutions 
> and
> promises.
>
> So tomorrow we will be sharing each others' resolutions and putting a 
> plan
> on how to help each other.
>
> Sit with yourselves and think and write down your list. Its a 
> chance
> to open a new page and determine what do you want to change or what 
> do you
> want do.
>
>
> Love you guys and Happy New year :)
>
> Rotaract Love <3
>
> Shaymaa Hamouda
> Charter President
> Rotaract Club of Dokki Garden-City
> Egypt, D2450
> "Be the missing piece"

    On Tuesday we met on time and before starting we discovered that our lovely Club Service Director Shaimaa Hatem has prepared us a format and gave each one of us a copy. We had to write 10 goals we want to accomplish, 8 words we want to live by, Places we want to visit and faces we want to meet during the year.

    After all members were done we started reading our resolutions out loud, with each member's turn we figured out we have a lot in common more than we thought. We were so happy to discover this common ground and goals that we can accomplish together.  

    Yesterday, Shaimaa sent all the members the format so that they can fill a copy and send it back to her. She'll be working on them with the help other directors in order to come up with a plan to fulfill these resolutions during the year.

    Also during the meeting i gladly announced the names of those who are willing to run for next year's High Board Elections. I preferred they take the decision of running early so that they can have enough time to be prepared and get ready for the big posts next year isA :)

    Thats all fellows in service; this meeting was one of the best so far. I was proud of the Dokkiweya sharing their resolutions and hopes for the new year and i was more proud they finally decided to step up and take the lead and continue the journey of this wonderful club during the next year <3

   Before i leave: "Hope, Faith & Love" are the three words that were common between the words most of the members chose to live by during this year. Thus i hope you a splendid year full of happiness and joy and community service. I had faith this year will be better than the last and that the Rotaract family generally and the Egyptian specifically will give even more care and will help the community in better ways. And finally lots and lots of Rotaract love <3

Rotaractly yours

Shaymaa Hamouda

President

<3   <3

"Egypt : A Journey In Time !!"

Fellows in Service;

  We are still celebrating Egypt as part of the "10 Countries in 10 Months" project in which we celebrate countries of our District 2450. We have already posted posts showing different myths and folkores of Egypt ( Check old posts ).

In this post we'll do a different thing; we will show photos of Egypt during the early years of the last millinium and give you some info about the places, people and land marks. So lets start a journey that will show you a glimpse of our history :)

Cairo The Capital

 

A photo of the Capital City Cairo in the 40s

 

 

 

A Post Office :)

 

 

Tha Basilica Church in Heliopolis

 

 

Kasr El-Nil Bridge (Translated Nile Palace Bridge)

It was built during the rein of Chedive Ismail and was widened by King Fouad I and named "Chedive Ismail Bridge" to gain its original name back after the 1952 Revolution. This bridge is well known for its 4 lions' statues two bordering each side of the bridge.

 

 

 

Cornish El-Nile Street and AbulElla Bridge in 1965

Port Said

 

 

Port Said

The Port Said Port lies to the nothern entrance of the Suez Canal. It is considered one of the most important Egyptian ports due to its distinctive location on the entrance of the most significant waterway in the waorld (The Suez Canal) and in the middle of the biggest merchant shipping line between Europe and the East.

 

 

 

 

Alexandria the Pearl of the Mideterrean

 

 

Port of Alexandria in 1906

 

 

The Stock Market in Alexandria in 1906

 

 

The Italian Council in Alexandria in 1932

 

 

French Gardens in Alexandria 1913

 

 

Victoria College Entrance in 1916