Too often, people do not receive the recognition they deserve for acts they did in a timely manner. In this article I wish to write a tribute to my mother, Elham Abou Youssef إلهام أبو يوسف, in order to thank her for what she did.

My mother's saga started with my father's prolonged illness and battle with chronic liver disease. This illness caused him not to be able to work in the last few years of his life. When he finally died, he left me (six years old) and my brother (two years old) in the care of my mother.

Although she was in her early thirties then, she never thought of remarrying, nor to send the boys to their paternal grandfather in the rural village of El Sakakra. Instead, she went back to work in order to provide for the two young boys.

At first, she took a job in a public sector company as a social worker, since she held a degree in that. Quickly, she realised that this is not enough, and sought to start her own knitwear clothing business.

This business started at first in the large balcony of the apartment that we lived in, together with my grandmother, two aunts and an uncle. Soon, the business moved to a dedicated rented apartment, where it operates to this day, despite my mother being in her seventies.

My mother insisted that we attend the best schooling available at the time, and hence go to the private E.G.C. language school.

My mother could have easily remarried, sent us to our grandfather, or put us in public schools. She chose not to do any of that.