What struck me immediately when I saw Hana Al-Showafi for the first time was her passion. We met in the halls of the "Youth Leadership Development Foundation" in Sanaa, where she worked as a project coordinator. She was asked to guide me around and to explain to me the aims of the foundation. Rarely have I heard a young woman speak so fervently about her work, her self esteem as a citizen and about the democratization of her society. We have kept in touch ever since. Today she works for an international NGO, is a youth activist and has developped a great sense for the small things in everyday life that reveal a bigger picture.
Letter One
When I happen to be on a mini bus, I keep looking at people walking in the streets of Sanaa and listening to the conversations between the driver and his passengers. I see poor innocent people, who try to make ends meet and still try to smile. And lately I observed an incident that tells a lot.