Sturm: Fayoum

In the village of Abuxa, in the governorate of Fayoum the Nile's water isn't flowing like it once did. Though this area is considered part of the food basket of Egypt, today many of the fields are going dry.

One of the reasons that the water does not reach where it once did is that those overseeing the water distribution do so according to their personal benefit, receiving bribes, taking more than their own share and prioritizing their friends and relatives. In some areas this small level theft reaches much higher volumes. The agri-businesses that have sprung up around the city of Fayoum in recent years require massive amounts of water. A majority of these businesses' produce is exported so that the farm owners can maximize their profits. Not only are many of these agri-businesses owned by former parliament members or part of the government's security apparatuses, but government policy actually encourages food export. Increased exports are said to "strengthen" the 'economy." In 2011 food prices increased by 18%.

In Fayoum capitalism cuts to the bone.

Sturm: Ahmonseto

In 2002 Mohamed Khamis a business tycoon close to the Mubarak regime tried to become a partner in the Ahmonseto textile factory. Shortly after owner Adel Agha rejected the offer he was accused of fraud charges and imprisoned. After his release three years later, Agha entered a dispute with Bank Misr that had provided him a loan and was again sentenced to another three year in prison. So Agha fled the country. Left in the middle of this business dispute were the 2,000 workers employed at the Ahmonseto complex. The workers went to court and demanded they themselves manage the factory in Agha's absence so as not to lose their jobs. After a government committee deemed the factory non-functional after years of standstill, the workers started a fight for even the slightest severance pay by the bank now in ownership of Agha's assets. Overseeing the factory assessment process was Mohamed Khamis.

In Ahmonseto capitalism cuts to the bone.