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Stories from the Field

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January 8, 2010: Coptic Orphans Rep Wounded in Egypt Violence

November 5, 2009: Basma Triumphs over Exam Error - Basma almost failed 3rd grade because she didn't know the Quran.

November 5, 2009: A Father to Many - Every week, volunteer Rep Adel Labib Riad from Mallawi spends upwards of 10 hours to visit 39 children in 18 Not Alone families.

September 30, 2009: What Have You Got to Lose By Giving? - As the recession puts pressure on donors and program participants, a widowed mother and a child sponsor show the true nature of generosity.

August 28, 2009: A Serve to Learn Experience - Another returning Serve to Learn volunteer shares the wonderful things she saw and experienced in Egypt and an unexpected response from a group of children.

July 30, 2009: Field Update from Executive Director Nermien Riad

July 28, 2009: First Person with Jimmy Bebawy - A returning Serve to Learn volunteer from Chicago shares his journey, and what he discovered about the problem of child poverty in Egypt and its solution

July 24, 2009: Coptic Bishop Angelos of the U.K. Visits Not Alone Family

May 5, 2009: Results in from Literacy Initiative after Just 60 Days

May 5, 2009: Meet Sonia: What Empowerment Looks Like - When the lower-level bureaucrat at the front desk of the government social security office saw Sonia* approaching in the black garb of a penniless widow, he waved her away. “I’m not here to give charity to beggars,” he told her...

May 1, 2009: To Save a Life in Egypt - You may be familiar with the so-called “AIDS orphans” in Africa, and the   programs funded by sponsors all over the world to help them. But were you aware about the countless children in Egypt who are losing their fathers to another deadly disease that infects up to 20% of the population*?

March 1, 2009: One Sponsor's Journey: "It was a Wake-Up Call" - As I went back and read the original letters, I realized that my children were upset with me for not responding to their letters. It struck me that these kids are not about the money; they really yearned for a personal relationship. From then on I knew I had to get more involved, so I decided to go to Egypt to visit the children. It was a phenomenal experience.

December 2, 2008: First Aid Kit Brings New Life to a Widow - 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.

November 20, 2008: Bishop Gawargious of Matay Calls for Greater Coordination Among Coptic Charities - Anba Gawargious gave Coptic Orphans the role of helping Coptic organizations working in Matay take the first steps in coordinating their efforts. Six Coptic organizations that work in Matay came to the meeting.

October 29, 2008: Death of 11-Year Old Alexandria Boy Brings International Attention to Discipline in Egypt Schools - mathematics teacher in Alexandria is being detained on manslaughter charges in Egypt after allegedly beating an 11 year old student to death for not completing his homework. The teacher claimed that he only intended to discipline the boy, but the incident brings to international attention the larger problem of corporal punishment in the Egyptian school system.

October 18, 2008: "I Would Have Ended Up Like Them:" Manal Moussa's Story- "It is like a dream to be here today. Never did I imagine that I would one day be in New York, speaking to an audience like this!" said Manal Farhoud Moussa, smiling from the podium on the stage at the Coptic Orphans 20th Anniversary Gala on October 18th , 2008

October 1, 2008: Student from Upper Egypt Train to Become Advocates for Child Rights - University students gathered in the Red Sea resort town of Hurghada for three days in September to learn how to become change-makers in their communities by advocating for the rights of themselves and others. The students were participants in Coptic Orphans’ Not Alone program, and came from all over Upper Egypt—from Assuit to Aswan.

August 1, 2008: Changing Hearts, Awakening Curiosity in Alexandria - During the past 20 years, the Not Alone program has empowered thousands of children to become literate, stay in school, and graduate to become change-makers in their communities. But the accomplishments we are most proud of are the most difficult to attain or to express in numbers: changing hearts and minds. When we recently held a reading workshop outdoors for the first time in recently Alexandria, we saw the results of those efforts.

July 31, 2008: Children Overcome Circumstances to Achieve - children of all ages from the surrounding areas gathered to celebrate their achievements in the third annual high achievers celebration in Cairo. While unplanned, the theme of the celebration ended up focusing on overcoming difficult circumstances to succeed. Features included a children's choir performing an original song, "Not Alone."

July 16, 2008: Facing Egypt's Job Market with Big Dreams, Small Grants - Angie has a big dream. One day, this girl from a Nile Delta village says that she is going to work in the international fashion industry. With a recent mini-grant from Coptic Orphans, she is already on her way to making her dream a reality.

June 30, 2008: Widowed Mothers Take Control of their Lives - Widowed mothers face great odds in Egypt.

But Not Alone program mothers are the sources of their children's own confidence. We recently received a few stories from Egypt that illustrate how these mothers are taking control of their lives for the sake of their families.

June 6, 2008: A Gift of Warmth in Sudan - A Few years ago, some Canadian Copts from Sudan asked us to partner with them to ensure that their homeland in Sudan gains the same access to basic rights as Egypt. Coptic Orphans partnered with the Coptic Orthodox Church to reach families with 300 blankets and 70 boxes of nutritious food this year.

May 9, 2008: Bishop Bakhomious Blesses New Facilities for Children with Special Needs - The children at the St. Mark Center will learn new trades and handicraft skills that will equip them to gain greater self-sufficiency. “I talk about Coptic Orphans wherever I go,” Bishop Bakhomious said.

May 9, 2008: New Egyptian Law Amendments Major Victory for Egypt Children - These amendments directly address two issues that Coptic Orphans faces frequently in our work: female genital mutilation/cutting and child marriage.

March 10, 2008: Results in on 2007 Grassroots Partnership Initiatives - Eleven of our partner organizations presented success stories showing how Coptic Orphans’ support made a difference in their communities. The highlight came when they cheared on a courageous nun for her work with orphaned girls. we reached 2,147 children through these partnerships in 2007. We share some participating children's stories here.

October 27, 2007: Children Showcase Talents, Outstanding Achievements in Not Alone - 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. The one hundred children who received awards and their families walked out of a theater with confidence and the assurance that success gets noticed.

September 7, 2007: Dreams Come True for Children at Giza Concert - dreams came true for 30 children from Not Alone when international pop singer Chantel Chamandy invited them onstage during a landmark concert at the pyramids of Egypt.

August 28, 2007: Cairo Reps Go Extra Mile to Talk About Difficult Family Issues

July 28, 2007: New Coptic Orphans Headquarters Opens Doors in Egypt - More than 200 people gathered in Cairo , Egypt for the grand opening of the new Coptic Orphans Egypt office. The new office will increase the organizational capacity of Coptic Orphans to open new doors of opportunity to many more children in Egypt than have previously been able to participate in Coptic Orphans programs.

July 4 - 24, 2007: Children Choose Books, Receive Inspiration at Egypt Workshops - Over five hundred children participated in workshops held in nine different locations throughout Egypt, where they experienced the fun and joy of reading. In Cairo , the children shared their stories with others through creative skits. One child from Giza was so inspired by his new book, he started to write his own story.

July 5, 2007: Coptic Orphans Marches for the End of FGM - Coptic Orphans staff and 20 Valuable Girl Project participants marched to demand the end of female genital mutilation after the recent death of a 12 year old girl who underwent the procedure.

 
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