I expected to see many unsheltered people in Cairo, as every big city I have been to has many. I certainly saw impoverished people and very humble dwellings, but no one with no place.

I asked our guide on the last day in Egypt why we had not seen homeless people despite the high unemployment and poverty rates. She said that one reason was the many slum areas where shelter, while inadequate, is cheap. Another big factor was that Islam prohibits alcohol, so alcoholism is rare. Other addictions exist but are not common.

She felt the biggest factor though, was the commitment to family values. She said that even distant relatives expect to care for people, even when they have special needs and mental health challenges. And most everyone has somebody.

I’ve reflected on that conversation as I’ve passed encampments in our cities. We have far more public resources than that developing country and far more unhoused people. While it’s a complex issue, it does seem that the power of family, religious values, and selflessness are big contributions toward becoming a Zion people with no poor among us.

~Nita Smith