09/25/2022 Egypt (International Christian Concern) – More than 325 Egyptian children attend ICC’s education center, Hope House. In a country where Christians are viewed as second-class citizens, Hope House seeks to break the cycle of generational persecution by providing access to quality education and upward mobility.
Hope House is the innovative alternative to public schooling, where Christian children are largely sidelined and receive poor teaching.
Mariam, who teaches at one of the centers, shared, “There is a vast difference between them. In public schools, it’s just a routine. But at the center, we work with the kids as if they are our kids. Here it is a service. As much as I can, I focus on each kid separately, and I care so much about the kids.”
Classes at Hope House are one-third the size of public school classes, allowing the students’ teachers to provide more personalized schooling.
The child sponsorship program provides incentives to children and their families to keep the children enrolled in school. Especially during the summer months, poorer Christian boys are pulled from school to work in the fields, earning less than $2 USD per day. Girls are typically tasked with helping at home or learning homemaking skills.
Sponsored children receive intentional discipleship in conjunction with each center’s partner church. They and their families also receive monthly food packages to offset any income deficit due to children focusing on their education over work. Children participate in routine medical testing and medication as needed, entertaining cultural field trips, and receive special gifts throughout the year, such as new clothing.
As a result of the sponsorship program’s benefits, parents are taking note of the importance of their child’s education.
Lena, who teaches science at one of the centers said, “Only two weeks after the start of the program, the parents were supporting their kids to join the classes. And they consider this service is essential for their kids. The kids want learn more and more.”
Mariam shared about the improvements she has seen in her students since they began, “I had a kid in my class who did not know how to hold a pen or write. He has now improved so much. Honestly, this center is perfectly affecting our village, as the most neglected thing for kids here is the education.”
ICC prayerfully opened another center this summer, trusting that the children in this new village would receive sponsorship and the educational encouragement needed to help them move beyond second-class citizenship.
Please join us in praying for the growth of the new center, the local partner church, and the development of the local Christian children and their families.