On a very hot Thursday afternoon and after I got into a screaming match with a cab driver for demanding more money than what the meter says, I made my way to the sidewalk where I tried to hail another cab.
Given the fact that I was furious, I thought it would be best to take a minute and calm down. After the swearing, cussing and grinding my teeth because of how enraged I was, I found a cab. Finally. The driver was an elderly and soft spoken gentleman named Sherif Mohammed. There was something quite special about this man, his wisdom and his genuine love for people shined through him.
I am a sucker for talking to people, finding out their stories and what they're all about. There is never a dull moment in these conversations, especially when it follows a less than pleasant experience.
With a smile on his face he looked at me and said, "your generation, your generation has no limits." Interested on why he thinks our generation is so special, I asked him why and his response left me speechless.
"I saw you fight with the other driver. See, most women in our generation would've backed down but you, even with your small size, stood your ground and didn't give in. Your generation, some of you will rise up to mount to something and others will fail miserably. There is no in between," he said.
After chatting away for a few minutes about past generations and generations to come, he told me an interesting story, a story he turned into an initiative.
After spending many years trying to make a living abroad, Mohammed came back to Egypt and experienced major culture shock. The Egypt he came back to was not the same country he had grown up in. The streets were filthy, small parks were neglected and the trees looked pathetic.
Thousands were ill and the Egyptian healthcare system was a joke. People, the majority of whom were poor or are lower middle class families, could not afford to pay doctors and professionals; medications were also expensive.
Angered and upset over what he witnessed, Mohammed decided to take matters into his own hands. He said "if people weren't ill to begin with, there will be no need to be humiliated or ashamed of their illnesses." I wasn't quite following what he meant. I mean, it seemed like he was pointing out the obvious.
Except, he wasn't.
He said if every person out in Egypt planted an olive tree on the street, illnesses would decrease. "What does an olive tree have to offer to the Egyptian public or mass majority of people," I asked.
Well for starters, the olive tree is one of the very few trees that can be planted and grown in infertile land, which seems perfect for Egypt. Secondly, people use the olives, leafs and the tree for major health and environmental benefits and thirdly, to buy an olive tree in Egypt is for about 50 EGP (two packs of smokes).
Lets start with olives – which are cheap to buy in Egypt – and the major health benefits they have. For example, it contains lutein which protects cells from premature ageing. They contain polyphenols that protect blood vessels from cholestrol and therefore, preventing a variety of heart diseases. Olives also contain beta-carotene, a pro-vitamin that prevents multiple forms of cancer.
Now lets talk about olive oil, pretty pricey in Egypt and thus, very inaccessible to the majority of people – especially the 40 percent living under the poverty line. According to Amoils.com, researches have found that the natural olive oil can decrease blood pressure without any side affects compared to chemically educed medications. Also, olive oil is used to fight atherosclerosis, a disease that thickens artery wall as a result of accumulated white blood cells, and diabetes and along with other diseases.
The environmental uses and benefits of the olive tree and its seeds are wondrous. Given the world's huge environmental issues, it may be time that more and more people start planting olive trees. For instance, olive pits can be ignited at an extremely high temperature to generate power. This can fuel generators for electricity and can generate enough power to operate water recycling equipment.
Furthermore, olive trees also give out a unique scent that may momentarily make you forget about the car exhaust and the air pollution. Just imagine if Egypt had more trees, letting you overlook all the brow buildings and filthy streets?
Needless to say, I will also join in the wonderful initiative on my own street and in my neighborhood because if more and more people have access to better foods and healthier options that wouldn't regularly be able to buy, they wouldn't feel like they're less than their fellow Egyptians who can afford it.