Egypt woman breaks into men only wakeup call job

CAIRO — Dalal Abdel-Qader, a 43-year-old mother from Cairo, is doing something that has for centuries been the exclusive domain of men — being a “mesaharaty,’’ or the person who walks the streets before dawn calling out to wake up the devout for their last meal, “sahur,’’ before their dawn-to-dusk fast.

It’s a seasonal job that lasts for the duration of Ramadan, the holy month for Muslims during which they refrain from food and drink from dawn until sunset. It’s neither salaried nor full time, but those who take up the job do so in part to serve their community and make a little extra money in tips.