I just returned from a quick—but packed!—trip to Egypt and was struck by both the breathtaking speed of change in the country and the still-hovering sense of uncertainty. It’s as if the whole country is standing on the bank of a strong-running river, trying to decide whether to jump in and swim to the other side or stay on the bank and wait for the waters to slow. Perhaps it was the many beautiful views of the River Nile that I saw on my trip that inspired this metaphor!

After a mid-morning arrival, I met with our Cairo team to understand the dynamics of the situation in the country. As we have all read by now, the role of young people in Egypt’s drive for change has been huge. They are a formidable force in Egypt, where the population under the age of 29 is an astonishing 55 percent (as compared to 41 percent in the US). But young people have not been able to gain political momentum yet and the expectation for the near future is that many of the traditional powers in Egypt, including the military, will prevail in upcoming elections. It’s part of the reason Save the Children is looking to develop more programs for youth in the country—programs