ALIAA HUSSEIN

“Egyptian Women ... Future Pioneers” project has changed my life to the better and helped me to fulfill my dream and work. My dad became proud of me for working in one of the biggest French companies and my work in the gas station which was a job for men only.

My story has become a motive for girls of my district to participate in the coming stage of the project.

The twentieth girl, Aliaa Hussein, that has 23 years old specifically and a graduate of above intermediate diploma from the institute of journalism, electronic devices section, a resident of Abo Masoud district in old Cairo didn’t know that the association for the development and enhancement of women is going to change her life and achieve her dream that was fading in front of her father’s determined refusal of her work. Aliaa tells her story saying that the truthfulness and the trust that went along with the previous developmental projects of the association for the development and enhancement of women in old Cairo have encouraged her mother and motivated her dad to let her participate in Egyptian Women ... Future Pioneers’ project for training and qualifying women for work. And soon after we finish the trainings, I got hired in Total Company, one of the French companies in Egypt, where I fuel cars with benzene in one of Total’s gas stations.

Alia tells her story: "My life was normal, I graduated from the institution like any of my friends, but the difference between me and them is that they worked and I did not work, I stayed at home doing nothing but eat, sleep and watch TV until I got upset and bored. Basically, I didn't look for a job because my father rejected the idea that I was working,I always tried to convince him of the idea of working, but he always refused and said, "Forget the idea of working completely as long as I don't deprive you of anything" and my attempts always came to failure.

In a voice of despair, she said, "I did not have any good feelings for myself, I felt useless not to do anything useful in my life, which made me in a state of distress and boredom, contrary to what I planned for my life during school, which is to graduate from the institute and then look for a job in the areas that I love whether to be a journalist or a computer engineer, simply because anyone does not feel himself and his being except through hiswork."

With a smile on her face continues: "But my life began to change when one of our neighbors in the region came to my mother with a paper with an advertisement for the Project"Egyptian Women." "Future pioneers" to train girls and then hire them in big companies in Egypt.She told my mother that this is a good opportunity for your daughter to work in a suitable place. But this is not only what encouraged my mother to stand by me this time to work in front of my father's rejection, but our knowledge and trust in “the Association for the development and enhancement of Women" because of its development projects of loans, education, scholarships and girls' dream classes to serve girls and women in old Cairo region."

She added:"I soon went to the headquarters of the association and registered a form to participate in the project and it contained many questions such as the reasons for participating in the training and how I imagine myself and my ambitions and goals in the future. After a while I was contacted through The Roots Foundation for a personal interview, and thank God I was accepted into the project because the conditions of acceptance was that the girl has enthusiasm for work and determination as well as the obligation, and to commit during the training period and also during the work."

During the 23-day period, we were trained in many exercises that included self-confidence skills, how to communicate and deal with others, emotional and social intelligence skills, how to manage anger, analytical thinking skills, problem solving, and our definition of women's rights, and finally how to conduct cvs and job interviews.

I benefited very much from these exercises because it helped me on a personal level to increase my confidence in myself and have self-esteem, and also how to communicate with others through listening and actively participating in dialogue or communicating non-verbally through movements and facial expressions and body expressions. On my family level, my personality was changed for the best which made my father change his view of the idea of working for the girl, and gave me his approval to work and even felt proud to work in one of the major French companies in Egypt. Additionally, my neighbors noticed my change in treating with them, I became more interacted during the dialogue.

Continue her speech and says:"My dream began to come true to get a suitable job opportunity through the project's recruitment meeting,and I conducted 6 personal interviews with 6 major French companies: Total, L'Oréal, Orange, San Joban, Accor Hotels and Credit Agricole, and thank God I was selected for the car supply job at total's gas station."

With the signs of surprise and happiness in her voice says: I did not imagine that a day would come and I work in a field that was exclusive to men but Total broke this rule, I am currently working at one of total gas stations, where the experience of securing cars and dealing with customers is a new experience especially because I like to work in new areas to have many skills and experiences.

She concluded her story saying, "Work has motivated me to work more and learn a lot of skills that make me better on the personal and professional level to join a greater job opportunity and a better position."So I would advise all the girls in the region, my neighbors and friends, to join this project because it has helped us to get very important trainings, both on a personal and professional level, and also to qualify us to join the job market and get good jobs.