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BBC Pidgin of Wednesday, 7 April 2021

Source: BBC

Egypt first female captain chop blame for di Ever Given ship wey block di Suez Canal - See why

Marwa Elselehdar na di first female captain for Egypt Marwa Elselehdar na di first female captain for Egypt

For March wen one very big ship, di Ever Given block di Suez Canal wey bring one of di world major shipping routes to a standstill, one Egypt female captain, bin chop accuse say na she cause am.

Marwa Elselehdar say she bin notice something strange but as she check her fone, she see rumours wey dey fly up and down say na she cause di blockage.

Marwa, wey be Egypt first female ship captain say as at di time of di Suez blockage, she bin dey work as a first mate, for di command of Aida IV, wey far from Alexandria.

How di rumour take start

Rumours about Marwa Elselehdar role for di Ever Given bin start from screenshots from one fake news headline - wey one Arab News allegedly publish - E claim say she get hand for di Suez incident.

Di fake foto wey go viral be like say e comot from one original Arab News story wey dem release on 22 March, wey show Marwa success as Egypt first female ship captain. Di foto don go viral on Twitter and Facebook.

Several Twitter accounts don also use her name to spread di fake tori.

Marwa Elselehdar, wey be 29 years old tell BBC she no get idea who first begin spread di tori or why dem do am.

"I feel say dem target me maybe because I be successful female for dis field or because I be Egyptian, but I no dey sure," she tok.

Dis no be di first time she don get dis kain challenge for di industry wey be say na men full am. At present, women only account for 2% of di world seafarers, according to di International Maritime Organisation.

How she take react to di rumour

When rumours begin spread say she get hand for di Suez blockage, she fear how di rumour go take affect her work.

"Na English dem take write di fake article so e quick spread to oda kontris," Ms Elselehdar explain."

She add join say she bin try to clear her name from di article because e dey affect her reputation and dey destroy all di work she don do to reach where she dey now.

According to her, di comment for di article dey very harsh but some pipo tok beta thing and she dey encouraged by dia comments. She come decide to focus on di support and love she dey get. She later turn di anger to dey grateful.

She tok again say di mata make her blow as she popular pass before.

Interesting things to sabi about Marwa Elselehdar

Marwa say she like water and dey inspired to join di merchant navy afta her brother enrol for di AASTMT.

Though na only men di academy dey accept dat time but she still apply and dem give her permission to join afta di then Egypt-President Hosni Mubarak bin shook eye for di law again.

During her studies, Ms Elselehdar say she face plenty sexual harassment.

"Na older men wit different mentalities full di ship, so e dey difficult to find pipo wey wey I fit relate wit on same level," she tok.

Afta she graduate, she get promotion to di rank of first mate, and become di captain of di Aida IV when e become di first vessel to navigate di newly-expanded Suez Canal for 2015.

At di time, she be di youngest and first female Egyptian captain to cross di waterway.

For 2017, President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi honour her during Egypt Women's Day celebrations.

For May, Marwa Elselehdar go take her final exam to get di full rank of captain, and she dey hope to continue to be role model for women for di industry.