In the shantytown of Stabl Antar, south of Cairo, more than 1,000 poor families live in shaky, dilapidated wooden shelters on streets that are flooded from time to time with sewage. The hamlet, huddled at the base of a mountain, is also the home of Stabl Antar Dream School.

The three-story elementary school offers both normal school and vocational training, teaching the town’s children how to make carpets and pottery after school hours in an effort to help them find income-generating opportunities. Its motto is “Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime.”

Amira Hamada, the school’s director, told Al-Monitor, “The school is the only one in the area and was created through the efforts of the Sohbat al-Khair charity association to address the large number of children dropping out. The closest school is 10 kilometers [6.2 miles] from the town.”

Hamada continued, “The ministry did not build any schools in the area and does not grant construction permits for schools, saying there are no funds for the teachers’ salaries and textbooks.”