First Aid Kit Brings New Life to a Widow

Many mothers come to enjoy the opportunities that workshops bring: both to share their perspectives in public, and to learn valuable skills that give their families new hope.

Hundreds of widowed mothers across Egypt have increased their capacity to be successful heads of household since Coptic Orphans began offering a series of workshops exclusively for them in 2007. For many of the women, the workshops are the first time they venture into public life following the death of their husbands, and represent an important opportunity to connect with and learn from other widowed mothers who are struggling with the same issues.

First Aid was the topic of the most recent workshop offered to mothers in four locations in Upper Egypt. In villages where even basic hygiene practices can be a struggle due to limited access to safe water, it is not unusual for people to put coffee, toothpaste, or even dirt on wounds when they get hurt. Participants learned basic first aid techniques as well the basics of infection and infection prevention. Each mother took home a first aid kit, and reports from the field show that the mothers are indeed applying the techniques they learned in their own homes, and correctly recalling information on proper wound treatment.

“I am illiterate —uneducated— but now I realize that I am important; now I have a skill to help others.”

But one mother felt that the information was too valuable to keep to herself. When she returned to her village, she began teaching others the techniques she learned. Her reputation as a source of valuable first aid skills and knowledge in her village is growing. “I am illiterate—uneducated—but now I realize that I am important; now I have a skill to help others.”

Coptic Orphans programs address more than the basic needs of orphans. They are shaped around finding opportunities to build thriving families and communities. When mothers learn how much they can make a difference, they create environments where children understand that they have resources and talents to offer that can help change the future of not only their lives, but that of their communities.

When you give to Coptic Orphans, you are not just changing the life of a child. You are investing in the development of entire communities.

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