Home, Away and Home Again...With Values (and Kipling) as my Guide.

“If you can fill the unforgiving minute

  With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run,  

Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,  

  And—which is more—you’ll be a Man, my son!”

(Rudyard Kipling)

“Sometimes you have to man up. Even if you’re a woman.”

(Abeer Hassan)

 Humanity knows no gender but strives on values. Man and woman share core values. Human values. 

My life story is very much like a roller-coaster with many ups and downs, travel in time, places and cultures with a "Home Button" which always fixes me...

"Home is where the heart is.”

 On a hot summery day I came into the world, the youngest to two brothers and the apple of their eye. 

I grew up in a family where they all took pride in adhering to values of integrity, honesty, hard work and humility... 

My Mum, my heart, the shining star who I followed - her moves and twinkles, a radio presenter with a style. Values are the air she breathes.. 

My Mum’s heart used to melt when I mentioned to her a promise and reminded her that good people keep promises and she never broke one.

My Dad, my pride, was a man who supported himself and believed in the value of learning and working. He worked hard with passion to the last minute. Executive in the Ministry of Finance. Thrives on living among the crowds and offering all the help he can.  

My eldest brother, my all time role model, rather than preaching, practiced compassion, 

mercy, love and care. A neonatal consultant at Broomfield Hospital, UK. Middle brother, nice, smart and supports diversity and stands by humanity when dealing with people or animals.. A business intelligence-reporting architect - Major projects at Stanford University, USA. 

All love reading and our days were full of quotes and poems.. I came into a world of pampering and sheltering... 

{Photos of me and Family - one black and white photo attached}

‘‘Enter Ye to Learn ... Leave Ye to Serve ’’ 

 This is my life motto, it is my school's motto.. RCGian I am. I studied and graduated in American College for Girls (RCG).

For years and years we were raised in a bubble of values.. The top values were integrity and diversity.

I lived and enjoyed the shelter of honour and love... 

Now, fasten your seatbelts and allow me to take you on the rollercoaster of my life as I stepped out of my home.

My road map during the journey was this white board on which my brother wrote the great poem by Rudyard Kipling, If.. Ahmed travelled many years ago and left it in his room and I picked it out to save close to my heart and to try to meet all the "Ifs" to make him proud of me.

“IF you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,

But make allowance for their doubting too;” 

 After I graduated from the Faculty of Alsun, I pursued my life dream to join Mum and the stars and work as a radio presenter. It was not that easy to delve into this world. The argument was that I didn't study mass communications. I had to prove that creativity wins over a certificate and passion wins over finding "the job". 

 I finally joined Egyptian Radio and Television to get one of the biggest shocks of my life.. I learnt that life is tough. 

I came across different cultures and different mind sets. I was pushed into oceans of jealousy, rumours and hate. I was dragged out of my comfort zone and there were a million attempts to distract me from my top goal of shining among the stars. I fought back, adhered to my values, embraced pain as I embraced hope. I managed to meet the stars - Philosopher Roger Garaudy, Singer Demis Roussos, President of the International Union for Intercultural and Religious Dialogue and Peace Education, Dr Aly El Samman and many others... 

I learnt everyday a new lesson or lessons.

I fought hard and long trusted myself when all doubted me. 

My proudest moment here was raising 2,500,000 LE from different advertising, NGO(s) and stakeholders in just one week for Egypt Radio’s campaign in partnership with the Egyptian Red Crescent for Palestinians.

 After years, I realised that I was drained and when I lost my Dad I decided I needed peace over success.

 Dreams Come True, they do :)

 Searching for peace, I went on a long leave in the UK and while on the city sightseeing bus, we passed by Bush House, the home of the BBC and I dreamt of working there.

 “IF you can make one heap of all your winnings

And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,”

 I came back from the UK to a new phase in my life. I was invited to a job interview at the BBC. 

I was nominated by the Head of Egypt Radio to apply for the job of Team Leader for the first co-production between Egypt Radio and the BBC. I got the job and soon realised that I made a one heap of all my winnings and what I achieved in Egypt Radio to the unknown in the BBC. Let me tell it straight - I had to start from the beginning, I had long nights of fear of failure.. I struggled with managing a team in a cross-cultural context... but in the end, I got a grip, as Sean Keegan my Editor in the BBC used to tell me. Every time I was about to give up, I saw a hand extending to hold me... 

Bill Hayton, my trainer told me “stick with it". Sean, or as I called him Professor Henry Higgins, started teaching me to "man up" and develop a thicker skin.

My time with the BBC was lovely but the ride was tough. I started the job fearing to get on the London tube but ended up going jogging after midnight by the Thames. 

I spent nights shivering because the landlady forgot and turned the heater off, I slept nights with no dinner because the salary transfer was delayed, but ultimately saw success... 

BBCe!

 “If you can dream — and not make dreams your master;

If you can think — and not make thoughts your aim”

 BBCe! was another dream that came true... This was the first radio and online edutainment show in the Middle East. It attracted 1.3 million listeners per week. In the BBC, I exercised my values freely which aligned with the BBC values printed on the back of our ID card. 

 The journey with the BBC was the happiest. Living up to my values, my career with the BBC developed; I learnt, developed and got promoted. My line-manager spotted my passion about the emerging new media and digital and he decided to take a chance on me. I decided to go back to studying and started intensive courses to be up to the new challenge. As all good things end, this great partnership and co-operation came to an end post the January revolution. I am particularly happy BBCe! won British Council Elton’s innovation award.

https://bbc.in/31VSqO2

 “If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken

  Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,

Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,

  And stoop and build ’em up with worn-out tools:”

 Yes, I did! I watched the things I gave my life to broken and stooped to build them with a worn out tools...

 I decided that maybe I should let go of any job that requires creativity and innovation. I decided I wanted to be just a heartless machine earning to pay the bills. I accepted an offer to work for the British Council in an 8:00 - 16:00 job on Skills for Employability position. 

 However, soon enough I couldn't resist applying my creativity... Riham Boutros, the project manager challenged me, pushed and pulled me and I jumped into the creativity pitch again. I dedicated my time in the British Council to spreading hope and assuring aspiring youth that Dreams come true... 

I worked on changing society’s perceptions of vocational learning and insisted that Our Skills, Our Success.. 

 Sean Keegan and I worked on a big reality show, hoping to help youth get ready for the job market and graduate in British Council's “Work Academy”. This last dream unfortunately did not come true and it was the time for my next move... But before leaving I took with me my proudest moment here was achieving digital with 693% up on the figures in the plan.

 “IF you can make one heap of all your winnings

  And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,

And lose, and start again at your beginnings...”

 I went back to the UK for 3 months where I got the opportunity to get a TOT course and become Thomson Reuters Certified Media trainer and consultant. As a freelance, I got a couple of opportunities and worked across the Middle East. I missed the creative industry though and so I went back into the beloved MBC Group.

“IF you can force your heart and nerve and sinew

To serve your turn long after they are gone,...”

 And here I am, back to the creative industry. After a long job interview I was offered a job in MBC's Multi Network Platform ( MPN) - Cairo Office. The brief was to inject new blood in this unit and to support the journalists through the change cycle to where the organisation was heading.

In the MBC I felt I was back in my comfort zone, in a creative organisation with strong values. Values that I adopt and honour. 

 In my two years with MBC, I helped the journalists through the change cycle. I was faced with storming and resentment but I was blessed with people who adopted the change.

We worked hard to integrate with the Television Channels, to produce derivative digital content, to produce only digital products related to the TV outputs.I ran series of training courses on what new media is all about. I worked with them on enhancing the quality of digital outputs to match the quality of Television Channels, which top the lists. I enjoyed every second working with a “hands on” production approach. 

 And, good times ended again and I went back to teaching but this time as one of the founding members of the first Arabic Digital Media Diploma with the American University in Cairo.

 “IF you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,

‘ Or walk with Kings — nor lose the common touch,

if neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,

If all men count with you, but none too much;...”

 This was the major challenge I set for myself... Here or there, wherever I am and with whoever I meet, I always protected the common touch. It was me when interviewing prisoners, common people in the streets or with the ministers and stars. The only daily homework for me is to stay humble myself, protect my humanity and humility no matter what it takes.

 “IF you can fill the unforgiving minute

With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run,

Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,

And — which is more — you’ll be a Man, my son!”

 And I thought I am the perfect human, until I came across "Noqtat Dam" a project founded by Mahmoud Mehana, Senior Sales Director MBC MASR at Choueiri Group. Inspired by a real life experience, he developed a mobile app to make blood donation safe and convenient.

I heard the story and I heard about the effort and finances he invested in to fill the unforgiving minute with sixty seconds worth of distance run.

 I said to myself, now it is the time to give back to God, to people, to society.

 I am now dedicating my efforts besides teaching at the AUC to help people who need Noqtat Dam for life to receive it. The project needs grand support to hit the ground and save lives across a wider range. We need the support of each one working on CSR portfolio or having their own CSR system to save people dying every day for Noqtat Dam.

 As to me I want to earn the earth and what's on it and be a real human... Ensan.

 And now I feel as if I have come full circle. From my home and my brother’s “old media” whiteboard, teaching me the values of IF... to countries far and wide, crossing cultures and building bridges through “new media” and back home to my country - always in my blood - and my people - always in my heart - with an app for all that’s quite simply a lifesaver.

Article by Abeer Hassan

Copywrite by Mariam Farag

Founder of Human2Human Initiative...