Meet Asmaa, a strong, independent woman in a small village along the Nile. Experience the power of travel to change lives
Asmaa and I hit it off first when I did the right thing to quietly move an intruding dog out of her yard while she was sharing her life story. Here we are after playing a trick on our guide Hany. There were pucks of mystery material used for baking bread on in the oven that you'll see below. She whispered to me to they were made from compressed egg cartons so when the guide continued to ask others she poked me to speak up repeatedly. We laughed so hard together. Bonding moment. OAT strives to create opportunities for these connections.
October 31, 2025
Along the Nile River on our Dahabeya yacht for 16 passengers, our first stop with our Overseas Adventure Tours/OAT group was to experience the power of travel to change lives. Our guide introduced us to Asmaa who knew no English and originally worked only in her home like the majority of women. She taught herself English using "Ms. Google " and since she studied sewing in school, she started a business because OAT visitors sent her her first sewing machine. She now employs 26 women! Her village is 5,000 people and we visited her home and workshop. I share the doors to her business in my collection of doors in Egypt in another blog post.
Here's the family's oven
Asmaa's family oven in Esna, Egypt
Family home where 12 people eat their meals, but if you're married, then you sleep in your own home. Note the art/painting, it represents her parent'
s trip to Mecca. Her mother was clearly proud of her daughter.
family home
Note the very high ceiling, this allows cooling in the summer and heating in the winter. Imagine cooking for 12 in this kitchen!
This clay jar filters water and keeps it refreshingly cool
drinking water filter and chiller
The most impressive tangle if wires
The most impressive tangle if wires
We walked through her garden where they grow hibiscus used for juice--that's the flower photo as well as okra, peppers, fava beans, mango
hibiscus flower
loved the light on this ceramic jug in garden
loved the light on this ceramic jug in garden
Asmaa's goal for her daughter is to earn a diploma
Afterwards we toured her business, She had the most beautiful doors that I've seen in Egypt and they are inclued in my Doors of Egypt post.
Look forward to seeing your post of the doors of Egypt. I love finding doors in other countries!
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