November 2009 - Meandering home

Misa village

Poor family in Misa Village, CairoThe Misa Village is within sight of the Pyramids, yet poverty is ubiquitous here.

We decide to support one family on the eve of an important religious celebration and by shoes for the children.

Namefamily in Misa village near GizaAimTo allow a destitute muslim family to celebrate ...

30 November, 2009

Kamiel Choi

Cairo, Egypt, Giza, Middle-East, Misa, pyramids

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November 25. Caritas

28 November, 2009

Kamiel Choi

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November 24. Pondering possibilities in Cairo

An easy day in the café, updating and promoting my internet presence. It seems to take off now. Looking for Charity and Travel on google gets you to my website. I have to spend long hours behind the machine now in order to be seen. Shouting like a rough salesman on a fish market buy ...

28 November, 2009

Kamiel Choi

Cairo

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November 23. Gaza.

Mohammed wakes me up at six, and I go to the bus with a disconcerting feeling of insecurity. Will I get into Gaza? Will I be searched? Questioned? Will I get stuck in Gaza? Hit by an Israeli bomb or bullet? I cannot risk too much since the success of my journey is strictly dependent ...

28 November, 2009

Kamiel Choi

Cairo, Gaza, gaza strip, Israel

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November 22. The Egyptian museum.

Beans for breakfast, sugary tea, and bread. I enjoy being the only foreigner here and take my time before I say goodbye to the friendly staff and walk around in Cairo. At first I try to use the tourist map but its scale and German street names only complicate things. Just walk around, just breath ...

28 November, 2009

Kamiel Choi

Egyptian museum, Gaza, legs, stones, vases

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Caritas Egypt

Caritas Egypt, CairoNovember 28th, 2009Caritas Egypt does community outreach in empoverished areas of Cairo. They provide cheap healthcare and vocational training for marginalized and mentally challenged children.

We visit one of their centers in Cairo and make a modest contribution for the education of mentally challenged children.

NameCaritas Egypt, Mataraya centerAimTo help ...

28 November, 2009

Kamiel Choi

Cairo, caritas Egypt, children, Egypt, healthcare, mental, Middle-East, training center

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November 23. Gaza or Giza?

25 November, 2009

Kamiel Choi

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November 21.

I get back to downtown Cairo today, have a good breakfast, and work in a nice café. In the evening, some very nice guys take me out and tell me about the soccer tragedy that is going on between Algeria and Egypt. We have some tea together before they take me to a youth hostel ...

24 November, 2009

Kamiel Choi

Cairo

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Groups for Peace

Groups for Peace, Ramallah, Palestinenear Ramallah, Palestinian Territories. November 23th, 2009The Groups for Peace is a grassroots organization promoting the culture of peace by educating the local children through regular sessions.

Charity Travel supports the Peace Groups with a donation and the action "Peace of Fruit", distributing fruits to school children who express their ...

24 November, 2009

Kamiel Choi

groups for peace, human rights, Middle-East, Palestine

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November 20. All our presidents are underground.

The jagged contours of the mountainous Egyptian coastline reflect the bright sunlight that is waking me up. I am one of the many passengers that lie scattered on the carpet floor of the bar in hull of the vessel. There is no passport in my pocket, just a piece of paper that says I have ...

24 November, 2009

Kamiel Choi

Cairo, Egypt, Mubarkak, Nasser, Sadat

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November 19. Petra.

Waking up not too early since this is supposed to be a vacation day. We walk to the entrance of the archelogical marvel that is called Petra, and I buy a one-day pass (one day: 21 JD, two days: 26 JD as of november 2009. Be smart and buy a two-day-pass if you really ...

24 November, 2009

Kamiel Choi

Ad-Deir, Beduins, Egypt, ferry, hitchhiking, Petra

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November 18.

I leave Israel today because I want to eliminate the last few variables that stand between me and my flight to Nairobi. Exiting Israel via Allenby bridge and re-entering Jordan is unproblematic. I share a taxi with three Japanese guys to Amman, then take a fast bus to Petra. This is one of those days ...

24 November, 2009

Kamiel Choi

Jordan, Petra

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Daughters of Charity

Bethlehem, Israel/Palestine. November 24th, 2009Daughters of Charity is an orphan home providing shelter for children irrespective of their religion. They also support female victims of domestic violence.

We make a small donation.

NameDaughters of Charity BethlehemAimTo take care of maltreated, orphaned, undernourished, abused, or abandoned children from the Palestine territoriesSince1883Staff45 people work ...

24 November, 2009

Kamiel Choi

Bethlehem, Daughters of Charity, Israel, Jerusalem, Middle-East

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November 17. Stop the occupation.

I wake up in the Bargouti apartment, have a cup of instant coffee and start cleaning some windows. Lazar and I say goodbye and I take a bus to Hebron, the West Bank's largest industrial city and biggest humanitarian catastrophe. I cross several semi-abandoned checkpoints on the way then arrive in Hebron in the ...

24 November, 2009

Kamiel Choi

Allah, Daughters of Charity, Hebron, Nablus, TIPH

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November 17. Knaffa in Nablus.

22 November, 2009

Kamiel Choi

Daughters of Charitz, Hebron, Jerusalem, Knaffa, Nablus, Nativity Church, TIPH

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November 16. Working for the Peace.

This day is one of the best days so far in my life. We wake up in Samis house and plan the action of Charity Travel. First, I make my donation to Sami's sister and five other students in political science to support their transportation costs to the university in Nablus. They are committed to ...

22 November, 2009

Kamiel Choi

fruit, Knaffa, Nablus, Palestine Monitor, peace groups, Ramallah

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November 15. Peace Groups on the West Bank.

The plan for the morning is to visit the Al Aqsa mosque, but I am too late, and Bill Clinton is there. They shut the compound down for normal visitors and so I have to turn around. I run into two young women who are doing a field project as part of their international relations ...

22 November, 2009

Kamiel Choi

area C, Clinton, Palestinians, peace groups, Ramallah

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November 14.

Are you enjoying Jerusalem old town? Of course. I walk around and meet a lot of good people. Patricia who is working for Save the Children in Gaza tells me about her mission as we stroll along on the defense walls. We have a delicious lunch together, and exchange contacts, than she does the free ...

22 November, 2009

Kamiel Choi

Al Aysa, Jerusalem, old town, shekel

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Philipino household workers

Philipino migrant workers' shelter, AmmanAmman, Jordan. November 17th, 2009The living condition for Philipino migrant workers in Jordan is so bad that the embassy had to put up a shelter for them.

We support some Philipino migrant workers with their medication.

NameEmbassy of the Philippines to Jordan / support and shelter for distressed ...

17 November, 2009

Kamiel Choi

Amman, Filipino, Jordan, Middle-East, Philippines, refugees

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November 13. Friday the 13th.

I will cross the border to Israel/Palestine today. Friday the thirteenth is the right day to try my luck. So I say goodbye to Jeff and take a taxi to the bridge. After some uncomplicated steps at the Jordanian side involving exit tax, a slow bus takes me across the actual Allenby bridge, and ...

15 November, 2009

Kamiel Choi

conceited, friday the 13th, Israel, Jericho, Palestine

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November 12. Lagging behind.

A day of writing and administration. I stay in almost all day, except for a short visit to the supermarket where I buy the ingredients for a salad, that will be my contribution to the party at night.

And that party is really nice. There is plenty of delicious food and karaoke. ...

15 November, 2009

Kamiel Choi

Amman, party

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November 11. Amman hot sun.

Let's skip our discussion about the Israelis. It's a very intense and sensitive issue. Breakfast is plenty and I get at least some writing done, before we go do some sightseeing with Tönis and Basil, a publicity guy working at the US embassy. The citadel of Amman is as interesting as a pile of stones ...

15 November, 2009

Kamiel Choi

Amman, Byzantine, hot sun, Omayyad

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November 10. Filipino household workers.

This is another rewarding day at work. I visit the Philippine embassy, because this is my cause in Jordan: helping distressed Filipino household workers that had fled their mentally and physically abusive employers. I have made myself ready to visit the shelter and as I go out the door I bump into Tönis from Estonia, ...

15 November, 2009

Kamiel Choi

Amman, Filipino, household workers

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November 9. Driving around in circles, then to Amman.

Taking a taxi to Amman requires some patience if you are on a budget. The driver will drive seven times around the block to pick up more passengers, sticking his head out of the window and shouting to the yellow city limit cabs "Amman! Amman!". He offers me a more timely departure for ...

15 November, 2009

Kamiel Choi

Amman, authorities, circles

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