Threats and Efforts in Manshiyat Naser
This audio feature is about the threats facing Manshiyat Naser residents, either physically, psychologically, or biologically. A holistic approach in dealing with these issues is outlined.
Manshiyat Naser: Where's the Way Out?
Residents of Manshiyat Naser, an almost six-square kilometer slum area in Greater Cairo, are in a divide between leaving the place or committing to stay.
Several factors such as religion, family, friends and connections encourage the people to stay in the area, and refuse the idea of moving.
For over half a century, the phenomenon of slums invaded the Egyptian community and was faced by stigma, marginalization and negligence. According to the United Nations Habitat (UN Habitat), the Challenge of Slums: Global Report on Human Settlements, the formation of slums imposes social exclusion on its residents, harboring vulnerable populations.
Source: The Informal Settlements Development Fund (ISDF).
Hence, slum formation has stayed an issue that challenged both the governmental and non-governmental organizations.
“The government now works on establishing a huge number of projects, twice the numbers that have been done before for social housing,” said Hani Younis, the media consultant of the Ministry of Housing.
​​​​According to Younis, the ministry’s priority is to move those who live on unstable land over the hills, or with certain threatening environmental conditions according to their agenda and definitions.
The government has already started moving those who were living in unstable conditions to a city named Asmarat, about two kilometers away from Manshiyat Naser on the outskirts of Nasr City in Cairo.
A post from Behind Open Doors' Instagram page of Hani Younis, the Media Consultant of the Ministry of Housing.
Yet, some residents of Manshiyat Naser stated that they could not afford moving to Asmarat.
“Nobody is going to move you anywhere unless you have the money. In order to get a new apartment in Asmarat, I have to pay EGP 4700 and EGP 400 for rent, with EGP 100 for water and electricity and I cannot afford that,” said Horreya Abdelwahed, a resident of Manshiyat Naser.
The financial costs of moving out of the slum are not the only obstacle that discourage people from leaving, the fact that people distrust the government, and therefore are not convinced with the policies proposed by them.
For instance, Younis explained that people disbelieved in the past governments, thinking they might promise to move them somewhere better but later neglect them. However, he stated that people have started to regain their trust especially after witnessing the establishment of Asmarat.
Another obstacle arises from the inhabitants of the slums, most residents refuse leaving their slum due to connections they have within the area and its people.
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Yet, some residents choose to stay in slums due to several reasons including psychological sustenance and strategic geographical location. Their lives have become confined to their small community.
Fawziya Abdelrahman, one of Manshiyat Naser's residents who wants to live peacefully with her kids.
“Not enough qualitative research is done about the non-monetary reasons about why people might want to stay in slums, said Tamer El Gindi, a Political Science Professor at the American University in Cairo (AUC).
According to El Gindi, people have other reasons to stay in slums both tangible and intangible, which contribute to policy makers’ understanding of implementing practical and realistic solutions. He also shed the light on the importance of the internal markets that makes their houses close to work and hence increase their attachment to the place.
El Gindi proposes that an effort of urban planning should be applied to Manshiyat Naser. The government should try to retrofit the current space so that they do not project threats to the society and the people do not lose their livelihoods dependent on the location.
NGOs, like Al Sallam which deals specifically with Manshiyat Naser residents, try to research the possible deficiencies in the everyday life of the people and cator to them.
“We encourage women to come and learn different crafts, in order to use them to support their families,” said Dalia Thabet, the NGOs spokesperson.
Al Sallam finds that the solution is to work on developing the women, children, and youth of Manshiyat Naser through education and social activities to create a sense of integration within the community.
This Vox-pop shows how people vary in their perception of a shelter. Accordingly, their attempts to make their shelter better will vary. Hence, the governmental and non-governmental efforts to solve the issue of the non typical shelters such as slums, should put this perceptional differences into consideration.