Children Showcase Talents, Outstanding Achievements in Not Alone

On the evening of October 27th, 2007 near Cairo, one hundred children and their families walked out of a theater beaming with confidence and the assurance that success gets noticed. Coptic Orphans awarded 100 children from Not Alone for special achievement in school and in the program while a crowd of 700 people cheered the children on for their achievements.

The families of the children who received the various awards beamed with obvious pride at their children’s achievements. The workshop re-enforced for them that we are all working together to equip children to succeed: sponsors, reps, staff, and the families of the children themselves all have a vital role to play.

The highlight of the evening came when a young man from Not Alone came onstage and played a piece of music with the oud, an Egyptian stringed instrument. He was hesitant and shy when he began, but the entire audience started clapping along with the music to encourage him. Soon he was beaming.

Even the local Egyptian media outlets SAT7 and CNTV who covered the event left impressed. They came to cover a child workshop, but discovered that the story that they had been assigned was much bigger: it was the story of children all across Egypt gaining the confidence to achieve and let their talents shine. As the media personnel left, they expressed their surprise at just how wide the scope of Coptic Orphans’ work spans.

To further showcase the talents of the children present, an exhibit at the event showcased the handcrafts of children. Bishop Marterious attended the event and signed the children’s certificates, giving them the additional pride of bearing an official recognition of their achievements from a high official in the Coptic Church.