In the heart of Upper Egypt, where ancient temples whisper tales of resilience, one modern-day woman is scripting a new narrative — not on papyrus, but through sign language, hard-earned dignity, and motherly grit.
Heba Ramadan, a widowed mother of three and the founder of the “Nafham Ba’d” (Let’s Understand Each Other) and “Hayah” (Life) initiatives, has become a national symbol of inclusion, empowerment, and hope for Egypt’s deaf and hard-of-hearing community. On a stage typically reserved for ministers and dignitaries, Ramadan stood shoulder to shoulder with her daughters — two of whom live with hearing loss — as Egypt’s First Lady, Entissar El-Sisi, honored her during the May 2025 “My Family… My Strength” celebration in Cairo.
A Life Rewritten by Loss and Love
Heba’s journey began in pain. Following the death of her husband in 2017 due to cancer, the burden of raising three daughters — Rihab, Doaa, and Bassma — fell solely on her. With minimal state support and a society ill-equipped to accommodate children with disabilities, Ramadan turned every barrier into an engine of transformation.
Rihab and Doaa, now university students, were both born with partial hearing loss. Bassma, the youngest, suffers from a visual impairment. The family was based in Luxor, a region where speech therapy, audiology clinics, and inclusive education are scarce or prohibitively expensive. Instead of surrendering to despair, Heba took the road less traveled: she became her daughters’ therapist, interpreter, and fiercest advocate.
She taught herself sign language. She studied speech therapy informally. She traveled across governorates — from Cairo to Sohag — seeking proper diagnosis and care. At times, she worked multiple jobs to afford hearing aids or transportation. Her daughters thrived not because of Egypt’s system, but in spite of it.
“Nafham Ba’d”: A Movement of Mutual Understanding
In 2022, Heba formalized her mission, launching “Nafham Ba’d” — a grassroots initiative aimed at dismantling the social isolation faced by the hearing-impaired. But this was not just about helping her own children.
Through community centers, schools, and cultural festivals, Nafham Ba’d:
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Offers sign language classes to educators, government employees, and families.
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Creates inclusive educational content for deaf students, including simplified Arabic and visual learning tools.
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Facilitates peer-learning spaces where hearing and non-hearing children engage in collaborative arts and activities.
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Advocates for policy changes in special education and disability representation.
In 2024, the initiative earned first place nationwide in Egypt’s Ministry of Youth and Sports’ “Inclusive Society” challenge, and was featured in a parliamentary session on education reform.
“Hayah”: Dignity Through Vocation
Where Nafham Ba’d educates, Hayah empowers. Launched in 2023, Heba’s second initiative provides vocational training to youth with disabilities — teaching them handicrafts such as embroidery, beading, tailoring, and leatherwork.
Workshops held at youth centers across Luxor have since trained dozens of participants, some of whom now earn independent incomes from home-based enterprises. The initiative is currently in talks with local NGOs and the Ministry of Social Solidarity for national expansion.
Three Daughters, One Legacy
Perhaps the most powerful testament to Heba’s impact is her daughters.
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Rihab and Doaa, now third-year students at the Faculty of Specific Education, regularly conduct sign-language awareness sessions in their community.
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Both girls have karate belts, have won medals in basketball, and participated in national scouting events.
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In early 2025, they performed a poetic interpretation in sign language before the Egyptian Prime Minister at a government cultural showcase.
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The youngest, Bassma, is excelling in an Azhar preparatory school and already dreams of launching an accessibility app.
The annual “My Family… My Strength” celebration has become a powerful platform through which these values. The moment was more than ceremonial. It was a declaration of priority. For years, disability inclusion in Egypt hovered on the policy periphery. Under the stewardship of Egypt’s First lady El-Sisi and the active engagement of his wife, disability rights — particularly for children and women — are gaining long-overdue institutional visibility.
