Couple recalls years in Egypt
By Jackie Perrone jacper@juno.com

Bob and Ann Henry in 1983 at the Egyptian pyramids

It's been 25 years since Bob Henry of Columbia went to Egypt on a government planning project. He'll refresh his memories of the time spent there at the opening of the Columbia Museum of Art's new exhibit, Excavating Egypt, which begins with a gala January 26, 2008.

Bob and Ann Henry spent two- and- a- half years in Egypt in the aftermath of the Camp David Accords of the Jimmy Carter administration.

"Jimmy Carter, Anwar Sadat, and Menachem Begin hammered out an historic agreement at Camp David," says Bob Henry. "Among their decisions was a commitment for the U.S. to provide funds to both Egypt and Israel, in equal amounts, to improve living conditions in those countries and enhance their relationships as nations.

"I was a planner with Wilbur Smith Associates, which contracted to oversee the spending of this American money there. It was to be a six- month commitment, but it turned into two- and- a- half years for me, 1983 to 1985.

"Probably conditions in Egypt and Israel have improved by now, but at that time living conditions were appalling to American eyes. Such basic services as sewage and clean water and garbage pick- up existed in only a few wealthy pockets. Most of the millions who lived in Cairo and Alexandria lived in filth.

"The Egyptians built projects, which our team approved and supervised, schools, clinics, hospitals, even recreation facilities. It was a hope to make things better for average people."

Bob Henry found some customs and laws that seemed almost feudal in today's world. "Housing was in very short supply. King Farouk, and later President Nasser, had maintained some rent subsidies, which put a ceiling on rents; therefore, there was no incentive to invest in building new homes. When a marriage took place, the bride was to bring a dowry of money, and the groom was to provide the home and all its furnishings. If they couldn't find a place to live, no wedding could happen."

Egytians respond well to education, he said. The government made college available to everyone without charge. The problem was, when engineers and doctors and lawyers graduated, there were no jobs for them. They might wind up waiting tables or doing menial labor.

Like Israel, Egypt is a country with no oil assets. Needs are great, but national resources are meager.

Egypt's history is a storied one, with claims to be the oldest civilization on the planet. Bob Henry's wife Ann serves on the committee assisting the Columbia Museum of Art in presenting its new exhibit, "Excavating Egypt."

Artifacts on loan from the Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archeology in London include clothing, glass, papyrus, and funerary objects.