UNICEF Regional Goodwill Ambassador Mahmoud Kabil meets Street Children

Mahmoud Kabil listens to the views of Islam Mokhtar, 8 years old

Cairo, January 31, 2005 – The dangers of life on the streets of Egypt's big cities were the subject of animated discussion between about one hundred street children and UNICEF Regional Goodwill Ambassador, Mahmoud Kabil.

Mr Kabil met the children – from Cairo and Alexandria -- on Sunday January 30 at a one-day camp organized by Hope Village Society at its centre in 10th Ramadan City.

The discussions covered four different but related issues: the risks facing children living in the street; how to change the negative perception towards street children held by Egyptian society; the special needs of girls living on the streets; and ways of halting the growth in the numbers of street children.

These issues will be the subject of further debate at a major event – entitled Children of the Street: Reality and Dreams -- to be held on Monday February 7 under the auspices of the National Council for Childhood and Motherhood at the Cairo International Conference Centre in Nasr City. Some 50 children will take part in the event, to be attended also by celebrities, government and private sector representatives, NGOs and donor organizations, and the media.

Mahmoud Kabil, UNICEF Regional Goodwill ambassador, with street girls and street mothers attending the camp in 10 Ramadan City.

After meeting the children, Mr Kabil said many of the stories they told had been distressing. "The more you listen to these children, the more you feel that this is an issue that society as a whole needs to be much more involved in. NGOs like Hope Village and Caritas Alexandria are doing great work, but there needs to be much more."

Mahmoud Kabil is one of Egypt's leading screen actors. He was appointed UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador for the Middle East and North Africa in 2003.

For further information please contact:

Simon Ingram, UNICEF, Communication Officer / Cairo
mailto:isingram@unicef.org
Tel: (202) 5265083-87 Ext 210 / 208
Fax: (202) 526 4218