Egypt 2024

Arrive at Besaw Island to begin our NEW A Day in the Life discoveries with a local farmer and his family. The ancestors of these local farmers moved to this island after the building of the Aswan High Dam. As irrigation became more regulated and agrarian reform took effect, Besaw transformed into a viable, agricultural haven, and land previously owned by the wealthy was redistributed among agricultural workers. This 500-strong island community primarily cultivates mangoes, bananas, dates and feed for their livestock. They are noticeably isolated from surrounding areas, as there are no bridges, no modern developments, and electricity only came to the island around 2010. Besaw is seemingly frozen in time, where the pace of life is much like the gentle breeze and long-established traditions are the beating heart of local culture.

Upon arrival at the farmer's property, we’ll be welcomed into their home. There, we’ll begin with a conversation about education for girls living on the island. As we learned earlier on our journey, Egypt is quite split on the subject of women’s rights and the resistance to such progress is significantly greater in rural areas like Besaw. Many residents believe that learning to read and write is sufficient education for girls and that they should begin thinking about marriage in their teenage years. Furthermore, education can be a burden on families because children must travel to the mainland to attend school—meaning parents and elders lose out on the extra domestic help. However, as we get to know our host, we’ll come to find out that not all people here have such old-world views on the subject. We’ll also have the opportunity to ask any questions we might have about the issue—perhaps you’d like to know how forward-thinking residents are working to change the minds of conservative neighbors, or you might wish to ask about local school curriculums.

Then, we’ll stretch our legs with a walk through the village crop fields. In summertime, we’ll stroll through dense rows of lush mango plants and banana palm trees—two of the most lucrative commodities grown here—and if we happen to visit in winter, we’ll see zucchini, tomatoes, lettuce, okra, parsley, and other types of produce. We’ll also have the chance to observe some of the livestock, such as water buffaloes, cows, sheep, and various poultry. All of this life is sustained, of course, by strategic irrigation methods, which we’ll learn about and even have a chance to try our hand at throughout our walk. Depending on the time of year, we may also have the opportunity to seed the land or harvest some of the crops.

Lunch: In the farmer's home, featuring traditional dishes like orzo chicken soup, sun-baked bread, fried chicken, or beef stew, followed by a semolina-based dessert.Read more