Cairo: A donor from the UAE has offered an apartment to an Egyptian woman street vendor whose photo went viral online showing her working on the street amid heavy rains.
The 63-year-old vendor generated massive sympathy after her photo was posted online while sitting on a pavement and selling stewed lupines (a popular snack in Egypt) packed in transparent bags as Cairo was lashed by a downpour last week. The woman, identified as Nemaat, has since been nicknamed the “woman in rain”.
“She is lucky. A woman from the Emirates contacted us and donated an apartment for her. A regular stipend has also been donated for her,” Egyptian Minister of Social Solidarity Nevin Al Qabaj told private Egyptian TV station Al Hadath Al Youm Saturday night without giving details.
Car attendant
The poor vendor is living in a makeshift room in an under-construction building, according to media reports. Nemaat and her husband, a car attendant, appeared on Egyptian state television.
“I sell lupines to earn money to support my husband. He tells me to stay at home, but I refuse,” she said.
Nemaat added that she earns from her humble trade 10 (Dh2.3) to 20 Egyptian pounds a day.
Nemaat, a diabetic, has received several pledges of financial support. She said that celebrated Egyptian actress Yasmin Sabry and her husband business tycoon Ahmed Abu Hasheema had called her and pledged financial aid. The government has also offered her financial support and medical assistance.