# Toy Library



## Mayapearl01 (Apr 25, 2010)

Hi Everyone, 

I am due to move to Egypt early next year and I am interested in starting a mobile toy library. The idea would be to provide high quality toys for babies, toddlers and pre-schoolers. The toys would be available for loan at a small charge. I understand that there is a shortage of good quality toys in Egypt so I am planning to bring trusted and known brands such as Fischer Price and Early Learning Centre. I would like to bring a range of toys including outdoor toys, educational, D.V.D's. I would be interested in hearing if this is something that people would be interested in and what you would be willing to pay in order to borrow toys, games and D.VD's. I am an ex teacher and a mum myself so I know how important it can be to have toys that are interesting and stimulating, especially in an environment that might be really different to home. I would really love to hear people's views and ideas about this.

Thanks,
Anne-Maria


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## MaidenScotland (Jun 6, 2009)

Hi and welcome to the forum

A good idea but I would think it would depend on what area you are looking at as there would be the logistical nightmare of delivery.

Also remember that expats tend to be fairly well off and may not need to loan anything plus there is the snobbish side to it.. believe me expats just love to come here and have a maid, a car and a driver.. so from that aspect they might not want to "borrow"

Dvds... Easily available here and very little money.
We do have Toys R Us and lots of educational toys available in the big supermarkets. Fischer price toys are here.

These are just my points..but I know I would not use this type of service but the best of luck


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## cutiepie (Mar 14, 2009)

Hi Anne Maria,

Sorry but I have to agree with Maiden I don't think this idea would work . As a teacher who has taught in Sharm, Alex and El Gouna, I can tell you, no parents I know would be interested in borrowing toys, DVDs.
The majority are wealthy here, children have everything, iphones,blackberrys.laptops, portable psps, ipods, you name it they have it ......For the expats who arent as well off there are still lots of toys etc available here also alot of parents go back and forth to Europe alot and bring back books etc.
What would happen if the toy broke while they had borrowed it??as could easily happen? would they then have to pay for the toy/dvd? then it would b just as easy for them to buy the toy in the first place instead of paying for it after its broken?!


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## Mayapearl01 (Apr 25, 2010)

cutiepie said:


> Hi Anne Maria,
> 
> Sorry but I have to agree with Maiden I don't think this idea would work . As a teacher who has taught in Sharm, Alex and El Gouna, I can tell you, no parents I know would be interested in borrowing toys, DVDs.
> The majority are wealthy here, children have everything, iphones,blackberrys.laptops, portable psps, ipods, you name it they have it ......For the expats who arent as well off there are still lots of toys etc available here also alot of parents go back and forth to Europe alot and bring back books etc.
> What would happen if the toy broke while they had borrowed it??as could easily happen? would they then have to pay for the toy/dvd? then it would b just as easy for them to buy the toy in the first place instead of paying for it after its broken?!


:Thanks for your responses. looks like I will have to think of another project. I guess that the expats wh do the less well paid expats tend not to have kids.Would like to do something that benefits community rather than just making money and no sure about teaching in Egypt as I teach Philosophy of religion here which there is no market for there.


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## MaidenScotland (Jun 6, 2009)

Can you bake?
I would use a British/American style baker regularly ... Victoria Sandwich, scones, apples pies,
birthday cakes in fact any cake without fruit or nuts sprinkled all over it lol.
Maiden


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## Mayapearl01 (Apr 25, 2010)

MaidenScotland said:


> Can you bake?
> I would use a British/American style baker regularly ... Victoria Sandwich, scones, apples pies,
> birthday cakes in fact any cake without fruit or nuts sprinkled all over it lol.
> Maiden


I am to cooking what Gordon Ramsay is to Diplomacy...so maybe not. Various people have sugested giving private English lesson, but i get the impression that the Egyptian kids who have private lessons can be quite spoilt and demanding ( I apologise if this is a total miscoception, but this is how it sees from my own experience). Could do some volunteering as I guess there is always a need for people to do this.


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## MaidenScotland (Jun 6, 2009)

Ahh the dreaded private English lessons I have a friend who used to do this and that was only because she had no money, as soon as she could she gave it up because as you rightly said the children who are getting private lessons tend to be very spoiled and what the parents never think about is that the children are tired as they perhaps had gone out to school at 7am and now they were still "learning" at 8pm.. 

There are lots of organisations from orphanages to animal shelters that would love some help.


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