Young Egyptian remembers father killed by COVID-19 as she heads back to school

FILE PHOTO: Sama Mohamed, 12, wears a protective face mask amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic before her school day, at her room in Cairo, Egypt, October 13, 2020. REUTERS/Hayam Adel

When 12-year-old Sama Mohamed's father died of the coronavirus in May, the family tried cutting expenses. With the school year resuming this week in Egypt, buying a new uniform seemed unaffordable.

Unable to purchase a complete uniform costing 150 pounds ($9.58) from shops, she headed to a manufacturer in northern Cairo to buy just the regulatory T-shirt.

Flooded with unsold garments after schools shut in March because of the coronavirus lockdown, the factory sells uniforms for around 10 to 20 pounds less than shops, a significant figure for families already financially stricken by the pandemic.

Shahed Mohamed, 9, tries on her school uniform inside a factory in northern CairoÕs Shubra El Kheima district, Egypt, September 29, 2020. Picture taken September 29, 2020. REUTERS/Hayam Adel

Standing in her new shirt at home and getting ready to go to school, Mohamed remembered her father, whose picture she has saved on her laptop.

"He told me to stay strong and safe," she said.

Sama Mohamed, 12, looks at a picture of her father who died from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), on her laptop at her room in Cairo, Egypt, October 13, 2020. Picture taken October 13, 2020. REUTERS/Hayam Adel

(Reporting by Mohamed Abdelghany and Hayam Adel; Writing by Nadeen Ebrahim; Editing by Ulf Laessing)

Shahed Mohamed, 9, tries on her school uniform inside a factory in northern CairoÕs Shubra El Kheima district, Egypt, September 29, 2020. Picture taken September 29, 2020. REUTERS/Hayam Adel

Employees work on school uniforms inside a factory in northern CairoÕs Shubra El Kheima district, Egypt, September 29, 2020. Picture taken September 29, 2020. REUTERS/Hayam Adel