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Urgent Needs
Want to stay informed of the latest urgent needs? Email us.
Latest Urgent Need
Karim* and his family suffered a terrible loss when his father, who suffered from diabetes, died in 2006 of a heart attack. His mother also lives with many medical problems including bronchial asthma, colon and kidney infections as well as mild osteoporosis. The family has not yet received any sort of government aid and the medical expenses are a great weight on the family.
Over and above the daily struggle with medical expenses, Karim’s home is falling apart. The walls and ceilings of their flat are cracked and slowly falling apart.
A local engineering committee has been urged to carry out immediate restorations and Karim’s relatives has pledged some aid. However, it is not enough. Coptic Orphans wants to help support Karim and his family by donating $900 for repairs and for his mother’s medical expenses.
We cannot do it without you.
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Salwa,* her 4 siblings, and her mother live in a state of constant fear. Their small unfinished house, lacking a wall and a door, was broken into, greatly frightening the mother and the children. The mother’s screaming caught the neighbors’ attention and they hurried to find help. Thankfully, her call and their help saved Salwa and her family, but fear lingers in her house that this could happen again at any time.
Salwa’s family does not have the money to help build a wall that is needed to complete their house because Salwa’s father died suddenly and the family no longer has a stable income.
Coptic Orphans wants to provide Salwa and her family with safety and security that should be guaranteed to everyone. Help us by donating $273 to help rebuild their house and eradicate the state of fear in which the family now lives.
July 1 Update: a generous contribute from Texas has covered this need. Thank you!
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When Kamel’s* father was alive, he had no trouble supporting them. He was a weaver and was given a decent salary from the factory in which he worked. But disaster strick when Kamel’s father was diagnosed with cancer in his urinary tract and the life of the family was drastically changed. When Kamel’s father died in 1998, the family was left destitute.
Kamel and his four siblings along with their mother live in a small interior room that is in danger of collapsing because of a leakage of subterranean water. The family cannot afford to pay for its rebuilding or the concrete that is needed to support the small house and stop the leak. The grandmother also lives with them and the whole family sleeps in one small rickety bed together.
Coptic Orphans is partnering with the St Augustine Organization to contribute money to pay for the rebuilding of their roof and to also provide the children with clothes, blankets, and a place to sleep. We ask for a generous donation from you in order to raise the $455 that we need to change Kamel’s life for the better.
June 28 Update: a generous contributor from Virginia has paid the entire amount for kamel. Thank you!
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Meena,* lives with his widowed mother and two sisters on the ground floor of a building, the roof of which is made out of ruined wooden sheets threatening to collapse. Every strong wind reminds them of the imminent threat that their unstable roof makes every day.
Meena and his family were left under the care of their uncle who does not have the capacity to support them. The only source of income they receive is a meager stipend from the government which is not enough to support this family of four and definitely not enough to replace their ruined roof.
Coptic Orphans is contributing $365 for Meena and his family to rebuild their roof and provide them shelter and security. We can’t do this without you.
June 23 Update: a generous contributor from Virginia has given $65. Thank you!
June 24 Update: another generous contributor from Illinois has completely paid the rest of this urgent need. Thank you for your support of Meena!
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In the US, Canada, and other places, water fountains are located in almost every building. Being thirsty is a problem that is easily solved. This is not the case for Sarah* and her mother.
Since Sarah’s* father, a farmer, died of heart of disease in 2007, her family has been left to live in a small windowless room without any sort of water supply at all.
This small dark room also lacks any kind of sanitary bathroom facility. We need all of this to change.
Coptic Orphans is partnering with Sarah's local parish, the Church of the Apostles, Ashroba, to give Sarah and her mother hospitable living conditions including running water, a window, and bathroom facilities. We need your generosity to raise $290 to improve the living conditions of Sarah and her mother. With your help, we can make it happen.
June 17 Update: a generous contributor from Arkansas has again paid the entire amount. Many thanks!
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Samuel’s* father died after suffering for five years of leprosy. In order to pay for his treatments, the family sold all of their belongings and have been left with no stable form of income.
Left behind, with his three siblings and his mother, Samuel now resides in a small rural house, on a miniscule piece of land, built of dried palm reeds. Only one room is well roofed and this is where the family spends their nights asleep on the ground.
Coptic Orphans is building a sturdy roof over the entire house, but we need your help to raise the $708 USD we need to make security a reality for Samuel and his family.
June 15 Update: a generous contributor from Arkansas has paid the entire amount for this need. Thank you!
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In 1993, Samir* and his siblings were left fatherless after their father, a grocer, died of liver complications. Without a steady income, the family began to rent out the bottom floor of their house in order to make ends meet. Because their tenants turned out to be extremely unreliable with rent payments, Samir and his family had not been able to pay their own monthly rent for over five months.
Then, another disaster struck. their house collapsed and the family had no choice but to relocate and live with their relatives. Sleeping, studying and basic life functions have become unnecessarily difficult for this small family of four.
Coptic Orphans is partnering with The Shepherd and the Mother of the Light and the St George Organzation to provide Samir and his family with a place to live. Coptic Orphans asks for your support of $363 for its contribution toward a home for Samir.
June 4 Update: a contributor from the UK has covered this need. Thank you!
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Martha’s* father struggled with kidney failure for two years before his death, forcing him to sell his land and cattle and leaving his family destitute at his death. Today, 4 year old Martha and her little brother sleep on the ground and must share a small mud brick home with other people.
Coptic Orphans has partnered with Martha’s family to construct a new room that they can have all to their own, along with a badly needed roof.
Now, we only need $635 to finish the project.
June 4 Update: Two generous contributors, one from Finland and one from Australia, have covered this project. the amount over and above what we needed for Martha will be used to cover similar needs. Many thanks!
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Every time Girgis,* his mother, or his two sisters need to use the bathroom, they risk being seen by their neighbors from the upper floors of neighboring buildings.
Girgis’ father worked as a driver in Iraq until he got cancer. Then, he returned to Egypt and worked as a security guard while building this house for his family. Unfortunately, he couldn’t finish building it before he died, leaving the house without a staircase or a roof over the bathroom.
Girgis’ mother is chronically ill and in constant need of medication, so they are unable to contribute to the finishing of their bathroom as desperately as they want the safety of a private place. The total amount that Girgis’ family needs for their home is $205.
June 2 Update: Contributors from Washington, Virginia, and New Jersey have completely covered Girgis' home. The remaining amount will be used to cover similar needs. Thank you!
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Mina* has lived with a prosthetic leg after he lost his leg in an accident. Now, Mina has gone through growth spurts and needs to be fitted with a new prosthetic leg.
With $400, Coptic Orphans can help Mina get a new leg and continue to walk freely.
May 13 Update: A contributor from Arkansas has donated the $185 for Mina's new leg. Thank you!
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Bessem* lives with his mother at his grandfather’s two-room house with seven other people. Bessam finds it hard to study in cramped quarters with so many people, so his Coptic Orphans volunteer decided to help Bessam’s mother build an apartment on top of their grandfather’s house.
Bessem’s mother or church is unable to contribute towards their new home, something we encourage so that a family has a sense of ownership over their new home, so we have partnered with the local St. Augustine organization to cover part of the cost and coordinate some of the construction.
The remaining amount that we need from a generous contributor is $185 USD.
May 7 Update: A contributor from Ontario, Canada has donated the $185 for Bessem's home.
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Maha* and her mother travel between relatives’ homes, staying a little while here and a little while there. Her father died suddenly in 1997 and left his wife and daughter without a home of their own. Maha's mother encourages her daughter very strongly to continue with her education, but depending on the hospitality of various relatives and move around often makes it harder for Maha.
Maha’s uncle has offered to let her and her mother build another flat on top of his house. Without any resources to contribute from Maha’s family or church, Coptic Orphans needs $2,404 USD to build the house for Maha and her mother.
Already, contributions above and beyond what we needed for Marielle's urgent need below bring what we need for this urgent need down to $1,049.
April 28 Update: A contributor from California has donated $200 towards Maha's home. Only $849 to go.
April 29 Update: A contributor from Finland has just contributed $200 for Mina. Thank you! Only $649 left.
May 4 Update: A generous contributor from Maryland has just donated $500. Then, another contributor from Arkansas covered the remaining $150. Thank You!
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Marielle* lives with her mother, grandmother, and three sisters in a rural mudbrick house. Merielle’s father provided for his family by farming until he died after a struggle with prolonged illness that exhausted his family’s savings. Now, the walls of Marielle’s mudbrick home threaten to cave in, and the decayed wooden beams of their roof can't hold it up much longer.
Coptic Orphans has partnered with Marielle’s family to cover a portion of the repairs, as well as a local Egyptian organization, St. Augustine. their volunteer Coptic Orphans Rep has provided another portion from his own personal funds. We now only need $455 to cover the entire amount.
April 21 Update: Generous contributors from Arkansas, Virginia, California, and Texas have responded to this need. The amount above and beyond what Marielle needs will be applied to another pressing need. Thank you!
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March 10, 2009: Special Urgent Need - Shriners Hospital is helping. Will you?
April, 6 - Everything that Dolagy needs financially is now taken care of. If you are a Philadelphian and would still like to offer hospitality, do call us at 703-641-8910.
Ten-year-old Dolagy desperately needs our help to have surgery to relieve her severely twisted limbs which have left her bed-ridden her whole life.
Ten-year-old Dolagy has arthrogryposis multiplex congenita, a birth defect which leaves her with severely contorted joints. One of the disfigurements affects her knees, resulting in her feet resting on top of her hips. The little girl has never had any medical treatment, as her family is destitute. Dolagy has lived in a windowless bedroom for 10 years. She has no friends, and on the rare occasions she leaves the house, she is pushed in a baby stroller, and other children laugh at her.
In December 2008, Shriners Hospital, in Philadelphia, miraculously accepted Dolagy for surgery . The surgeon is Dr. van Bosse, a highly respected pediatric orthopedic surgeon who specializes in spinal deformity, upper and lower deformities, hip problems and neuromuscular diseases.
However, the following related expenses—totalling $25,186, will not be covered by the hospital:
• Overseas air transport for Dolagy, her mother, and an escort/translator: $6033
• Food, housing and local transport for up to six months: $11,850.
• Articulated HKAFO leg braces: $1154
• Wheelchair and accessories: $2277
• Hydraulic lift and sling: $649
• Raised toilet/adaptive clothing, misc.: $1520
• Shipping equipment back to Egypt: $500
• Sales tax for purchases (7%): $1103
To help Dolagy, specify in the comments section of the online donation form that the donation is “for Dolagy.” Together, we can give Dolagy the chance at leading a life of dignity, respect, and hope.
Update, 3/30/2009:
CO contributors have donated $1,150 (Thank you!), and a number of other organizations have raised a combined $13,750.
Bottom line, Dolagy still needs an additional $10,286 in cash to cover the remaining estimated costs. Also, we're looking for housing arrangements for Dolagy and her mother for some weeks or months at a time during recovery between surgeries if people can offer their homes or know of low cost facilities in the Philadelphia area.
April 6th Update: the entire amount for Dolagy has been paid by an extremely generous contributor from Massachussetts. May God reward you!
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Yacoub’s* father struggled to eke out a living from washing cars before he died of throat cancer, leaving Yacoub and his siblings with nothing but a small plot of land. Today, Yacoub lives in a crowded one-room home with his mother, grandmother, and five siblings.
Yacoub’s family can live in better conditions if only they can build on the small plot of land that they own. So Coptic Orphans has partnered with a family members who has come forward to help with a modest amount, along with Yacoub’s local church and St. Augustine Organziation, another Egyptian organization in Yacoub’s area that helps build houses.
With these partners, Coptic Orphans will build a two bedroom house for Yacoub with a kitchen and a bathroom. With only $546, Coptic Orphans can complete the project.
April 13th Update: We have received much more than what we need for this appeal from very generous contributors from Arkansas, New Jersey, Virginia, and Texas. May God reward you! We will use the amount above and beyond what's needed for similar needs.
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Nancy* and her three siblings live in a one-room house with a roof made of wood and palm fronds. Insects and mice have eaten their way through the roof, however, and now it threatens to collapse at any time.
Coptic Orphans has partnered with the St. Augustine organization to construct a new roof. While we normally also partner with a family for emergency housing renovations so that a family can have a sense of ownership over the result, it is beyond the means of Nancy’s family to contribute even a small amount. Coptic Orphans needs a generous contributor for the $730 USD that we need to cover the project.
April 6th Update: a contributor from New York has paid the entire amount and more.
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After Basem’s* father died, his mother was able to buy a simple house for Basem and his three siblings with the help of the Church. As the years went by, however, the simple palm-leaf roof wore out from the seasons.
Now, it can collapse at any time. Fearing for her children’s safety, Basem’s mother moved them to their grandmother’s home until their own house becomes safe again.
Basem needs a new roof of re-enforced concrete so that he can once again be in his own home. Coptic Orphans has partnered with Basem’s family, his local parish, and the St. Mary and St. Augustine organization to share the cost of renovations on the ground in Egypt. To finish the renovations, Coptic Orphans needs a generous contributor to cover the remaining US $455.
March 31st Update: This need has been covered by a generous contributor from Virginia, USA. Thank you!
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Hanan's* father abandoned her family, who now must live on meager church support inadequate even for their rent. Hanan's mother suffers from chronic anxiety attacks made worse by constant threats from their landlord to kick them out of their rented mud-brick flat. Coptic Orphans has partnered with Hanan's family and their local church to purchase a small piece of land for Hanan and build a house for her and her family.
After contributions for the project from Hanan's family and her local church, Coptic Orphans needs an especially generous donor or group of donors to contribute a total of $3,320 to give Hanan her own home and ease the pressure on her mother.
February 24th Update: A generous contributor from California has paid $275 towards the total. With a few more contributors, we can easily cover this together.
February 25th Update: Three more generous contributors, three from Virginia, have contributed a total of $350. We're moving towards our goal!
February 26th: Another contributor from Texas has given $150 towards the total needed. Thank you!
March 2nd: Two contributors, one from Canada and another from New York, have contributed $280. Thank you.
March 3rd: Another generous contributor from Toronto, Canada has just dedicated $500 to the cause, and another contributor from Pennsylvania has contributed $50!
March 6th: Three contributors accross three nations have dedicated a total of $550 from Japan, Pennsylvania, and Canada.
March 17th Update: This need has been covered by another $75 contribution from New Jersey and the rest from a very generous contributor from Massachussets. Thank you to everyone who contributed to cover this need!
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Nancy* lives in a one room house with her brother, her mother, and a cow. The cow was very helpful to Nancy’s family after her father’s mental awareness deteriorated because of illness to the point where he no longer recognized Nancy. But despite the blessings that the cow brings, it is not healthy for Nancy to share her home with an animal. Coptic Orphans has partnered with her local diocese to build a two rooms and a toilette for Nancy and her family so that they can have their own healthy space to live.
We have accounted for more than half of the total amount needed: the remaining cost that Coptic Orphans needs to raise for Nancy is $600, whether through one contributor or a few people pitching in together.
February 17th Update: This need has been covered by three generous contributors from New York, Virginia, and California, each of whom contributed a portion of the total. There was a little left over, and that will be dedicated to similar needs just like this one. Thank you!
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Since Michael’s* father died seven years ago, he has lived in his grandparent’s house with his mother and older brother. While his father gave it modest furniture before he passed away, Michael has to use a pit dug in the corner of his house for a toilette.
Also, Michael’s mother has no kitchen, and uses the floor as a countertop for utensils and the food that she cooks on a portable stove.
While Michael's mother is still paying off debts associated with her late husband's passing and cannot contribute financially to the project, Coptic Orphans has partnered with another local Coptic charity in Michael's village to build Michael's family a kitchen and a toilette together.
We only need $185 from a generous sponsor to completely cover the cost.
February 9th, 2009 Update: The response has been overwhelming. Contributors from several states have responded to this appeal. As a result, we are able to pay the entire amount, and another urgent need of the same amount in order to rennovate the home of a girl who shares her small rural home with seven other strangers.Any additional amount will go to other similar needs in Egypt for housing and water. Thank you!
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Nabil* lives with his three siblings and mother in an urban flat, where they have lived since Nabil's father, a shoemaker, died five years ago.
Nabil’s water pipes and plumbing connections are old and ruined, and because they do not work properly whenever Nabil’s family uses them it causes tremendous conflict with their neighbors.
Coptic Orphans has made arrangements to change the pipes, fix the floor and wall tiles, and install a new toilette. We have partnered with the family to cover as much as they are able, and the remaining amount we need to finish it is $190.
January 29th, 2009 Update: Three generous contributors, one from New Jersey, one from California, and one from Ottawa, Canada have responded to this appeal. We are able to pay the entire amount, and we'll dedicate the additional amount to other similar needs in Egypt for housing and water. Thank you!
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Marian’s* father worked as a grain miller who travelled throughout the Middle East to support his nine children. He developed lung cancer, and after a long battle that drained the family’s savings, passed away.
Most of Marian’s siblings have now left home and live elsewhere. Marian lives with her mother and her brother in a home with no water supply.
Instead, Marian’s mother has to get water every day from neighbors. Coptic Orphans has made arrangements to construct pipes and pumps in Marian’s home so that she can have water in her own home.
We need $152 to finish the arrangements and provide Marian with water.
January 26th, 2009 Update: The response has been overwhelming. Generous contributors from Australia, New Jersey, and Texas have responded to this appeal, and the amount you have contributed above the amount needed we will apply to other similar needs in Egypt for housing and water. Thank you!
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Kyrolos* and his five siblings live in a partially collapsed one-room house in a rural village. Because the roof has partially caved in, Kyrolos and his family only spend the day in the house. They sleep at a relative’s home. During the day, Kyrolos’ family is afraid of the roof collapsing totally on them.
Coptic Orphans has partnered with Kyrolos’ family, their local church, and a child sponsor for Kyrolos’ family to cover the renovation of the home. We intend to pull down the house and rebuild it with two rooms, a reinforced concrete ceiling, a bathroom, public utilities including water and electric, windows, and doors.
Coptic Orphans only needs $188 to finish the renovation for the entire house so that Kyrolos can be safe and secure in a home all his own.
January 21st, 2009 Update: A generous contributor from Australia has covered this need. Thank you!
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Samira’s* mother and two siblings share a tiny two-bedroom home with another family. The house has a dirt floor and the walls are moldy and unhealthy. Both mothers constantly fear that their children will fall seriously ill at any time.
Coptic Orphans has determined to repair, seal, and paint the walls, and provide a cement floor in place of the dirt one.
While Coptic Orphans usually partners with the family and their local church to cover part of the cost so that the family can have a sense of dignity in helping themselves, in this case neither the family nor their church can contribute. Instead, we need a generous contributor to cover the entire cost of $145.
January 20th, 2009 Update: A generous contributor from California has covered this need. Thank you!
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Mary,* her mother and three siblings have few furniture. The most important article of furniture that they have is an old gas stove that allows them to cook their daily meals. But despite being fixed several times, the stove frequently leaks gas and is an urgent danger to Mary: any night it could leak enough gas to suffocate Mary and her family in their sleep or cause an explosion.
Coptic Orphans has partnered with Mary’s family and local church to get rid of the old, dangerous stove and get a new one. Both Mary’s family and her church have contributed amounts as they are able.
With the help of a generous donor we can cover the rest with $121.
January 16th, 2009 Update: A generous contributor from New York has covered this need. Thank you!
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Kyrolos* lives with his three brothers and mothers in a rural home in Southern Egypt that lacks an electrical connection. They use contaminated water from their well for their daily needs because the subterranean water on their property is mixed with sewage.
Coptic Orphans has partnered with Kyrolos’ mother and their local church to thread water pipes with clean water to their house and install wiring and an electrical meter.
We need a generous donor to help us with the remaining amount so that Kyrolos and his family can have clean and safe water. We only need $127 to complete the project.
January 9th Update: A generous contributor from Texas has covered the entire amount. Thank you!
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Abanoub’s* father married his mother when she was still very young. His father died when Abanoub was just in preschool, leaving Abanoub, his mother, and his three siblings. Since becoming part of the Not Alone program, Abanoub’s future has been far brighter; however, his family currently faces an urgent housing situation.
The wall of their house that they share with their neighbors has been cracking as subterranean water tries to force its way through. The wall now threatens to collapse, taking their whole house with it. Coptic Orphans has worked with Abanoub’s family, local church, and community to find a way to reconstruct the wall and put a door on the second floor of their house to protect them from the elements.
We need a generous sponsor to help with the remaining fraction of the total cost and completely cover the project: $270
Update: January 7th: a generous contributor from Texas has paid the full amount. Thank you! Stay posted for more urgent needs as we receive them.
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Aida* lives in a mud-brick house roofed with palm branches and without a bathroom.
Instead, Aida has to go outdoors, unsafe and vulnerable. Coptic Orphans wants to rebuild the rooms of their house so that they will be more healthy and fit the house with a roof and toilet so Aida can be safer and more secure.
We have already raised most of the funds ourselves by partnering with Aida’s family and their local church. We only need $250 more to finish the house.
January 5th Update: a generous contributor from Texas has paid this amount. Thank you! Stay posted for more urgent needs.
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Several years ago, Christina’s* mother took Christina* with her to a larger city to visit relatives where her mother could receive medical treatment for an illness. When they came back home, they were confused and alarmed when their landlord tried to stop them from entering their own apartment by force. They soon learned that while they were gone, Christina’s father sold the apartment and all their possessions, changed his religion, and disappeared.
Coptic Orphans helped Christina and her family find a new home and start a new life, but now they urgently need new plumbing for their house. Her bathroom leaks water onto their neighbors through the ceiling of the flat below them, which causes a lot of trouble for Christina’s family. If the plumbing goes unfixed it will cause problems not only for Christina’s relationship with her neighbors, but will destroy their bathroom. They already need new plumbing and floor tiles.
With $645, Coptic Orphans can help Christine’s family renovate their bathroom and plumbing, even making it better than it was before.
December 8th Update: a generous contributor has paid $25 towards Christine's renovations. We just need $620 more to cover it. Thank you!
December 19th Update: three generous contributers from California, New Jersey, and New York have each contributed amounts totalling $350.
December 30th Uodate: Two generous contributors from New Jersey have just given $100 and $25.
January 2nd Update: a generous contributor from Massachussetts has paid the remaining amount. Thank you! Stay posted for more urgent needs.
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Danielle’s* father sold poultry until his death from liver failure several years ago. Since then, her mother has struggled to support Danielle on her meager widow’s pension and on the proceeds from raising poultry in their home. Their house is roofed with metal sheets and constructed from limestone. The limestone has been cracking and disintegrating bit by bit and now one wall, which she shares with the neighbors, is leaning heavily and threatens to collapse at any time. Danielle needs this wall reconstructed and a new, more adequate roof put over her head.
Coptic Orphans needs $797 to build a new wall and put a new safe roof up that won’t be a constant danger for Danielle.
December 3rd, 2008 - UPDATE: a generous contributor has paid the entire amount to finish Danielle's roof. We've received more from the field that we will share above.
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Sara* lives in the garbage district of a major city and her family's house is poorly ventilated.
Because of their unhealthy environment, Sara and her little brother both suffer from eye infections and her mother suffers from bronchial asthma. The family needs a wall with a window to increase ventilation and close the house to pollution, a new door, manual cleaning appliances to keep their clothes and house clean and healthy, and a bed with a mattress so they do not have to sleep on the dirty floor. Sara’s family is contributing a small amount and Coptic Orphans has partnered with their local church to provide another portion.
We need only $445 to finish the work. These changes will make a big difference towards making Sara’s house much healthier.
December 2nd, 2008 - UPDATE: This just in, a generous contributor has paid the entire amount to finish the roof. We've received more from the field that we will share above.
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Mary’s* family was kicked out of her flat when the landowner sold the building where they lived. The money they were paid as compensation was only enough to purchase a brick frame for their next home. The walls must still be finished to make the flat livable. In the meantime, the family has had no choice but to live with Mary’s grandfather in extremely tight quarters.
Mary’s family has managed to save money towards finishing the walls. Their priest and members of the church and community have also rallied around them, contributing funds to help get the family back on their own feet.
Coptic Orphans has promised to find another generous contributor from abroad to join the many that have already come together around Mary’s family to help them flourish again in a place to call their own. The amount that we need to complete this circle of community effort with Mary’s family is $1,165.
December 2nd, 2008 - UPDATE: This just in, a generous contributor from Canada has paid the entire amount to finish Mary's new home. Mary will be delighted. We've received more from the field that we will share above.
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Michael* lives with his mother and three siblings in a flat on the roof of a seven-story building without electricity or furniture.
Coptic Orphans has already partnered with their local church, which is providing simple furniture and a gas stove for Michael and his family.
Desperate for an electrical connection, Michael’s family once tried to solve their other problem by negotiating an agreement with their neighbors to unofficially ride their electrical connection; however, when the utility authorities found out, they took both families to court and slapped them with a hefty fine.
Now, Coptic Orphans is looking for a generous contributor to help Michael’s family gain access to their basic right to electricity the right way so that they won’t be vulnerable to being disconnected or fined. With $387, we can make sure that Michael’s family is legally free and clear, has access to a permanent electrical connection in their home, and has a meter so that we can assure Michael of having light to study by and electricity for daily living.
November 20th, 2008 - UPDATE: A generous contributor from Japan has paid the entire amount for Michael. Thank you! May God reward you for your generosity. Stay posted for more urgent needs as we receive them.
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Helmy* lives with his mother in a one-room home in a small village that has no bathroom. Water has been seeping in through the mud-brick walls for some time now, so that the walls are nearly all wet on every side. The water has been weakening the walls as it forces its way through, and the room now threatens to collapse.
In most cases, Coptic Orphans partners with the local Coptic Church and with families themselves to cover some of the cost of home renovations so that the family has a greater sense of ownership over the project. What we usually ask from Coptic Orphans supporters rewards the hard work and careful saving of the families whose homes we rebuild by meeting them halfway.
But the only income that Helmy and his mother have to live on is the 79 Egyptian Pounds per month (about $14 USD) that his mother receives from her government widow’s pension. Helmy himself works hard at school despite the challenge of being nearly blind, and we want to reward Helmy’s hard work and tenacity in school despite the circumstances of his home and visual disability.
We need an especially generous contributor this time to step up and honor the resilient spirits of Helmy and his mother by covering the entire amount needed to rebuild Helmy’s home: $2,727.
November 17th, 2008 - UPDATE: A generous contributor from Massachussets is sending check for the entire amount to cover Helmy's renovations. The contributor wrote, "I admire Helmy's Not Give Up Spirit, despite his disability and living conditions..." May God reward you for your generosity. Stay posted for more urgent needs as we receive them.
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Azma’s* mother and two siblings live on the top floor of a house owned by extended family members who live on other floors of the same house.
Azma’s* house threatens to collapse as neighbors continue to building additions to their own house tightly crammed against Azma’s, putting more structural pressure on her house than it can bear. At any time the house could collapse under the weight pressed against it, and Azma’s family fears what their precarious position on the top floor would mean if this happens.
The priest from Azma's church has come up with a solution. Rather than leaving and buying another house for 30,000 Egyptian pounds, for half that cost the family can buy their half of the house, bring down the whole house and rebuild it again so that it will be structurally sound no matter how their neighbors build.
With a little help from Coptic Orphans, the family proved their ownership with a written contract. Now, Azma's family needs to raise $1,000 after they and the local church contributed funds for the renovations to cover the rest of the renovation expenses.
November 7th, 2008 - UPDATE: A generous contributor from Australia sent a check for the entire amount for Azma's renovations. Thank You! Stay posted for more urgent needs as we receive them.
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Maria’s* mother was forced to marry an older widower when she was young. Maria’s mother was totally dependent on her husband, as many women in the rural areas of Egypt are, especially those who cannot read. When he died at the age of 70, Maria, her brother, her sister, and her mother were not only left alone, but destitute.
Before they became part of the Not Alone program it was so difficult to survive that Maria’s mother once tried to drop Maria off at an orphanage. Thansfully, Maria’s tears pierced her mother’s heart. She turned around and brought Maria back home.
Today Maria and her mother are doing much better now that they are part of the Not Alone program, and Maria is healthy, happy, and progressing in school.
Still, they have a special need right now.
Maria’s family shares a tiny three room apartment with two other families, and one of the other families harasses Maria and her mother over the use of the apartment’s single bathroom and source of water.
Coptic Orphans has partnered with the Coptic Orthodox Church so that Maria and her family can establish an independent life with their own flat. Both the diocese and their local church has contributed for the flat, and Maria's mother has also contributed what she can from a small amount that she saved up. We need $1,000 to reach the total price so we can purchase the new flat for Maria and her family.
October 30th, 2008 - UPDATE: A generous contributor from Massachusetts sent a check for the entire amount for Maria’s new flat. Thank You! Stay posted for more urgent needs as we receive them.
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Samira’s* father was ironing clothes for a living when he contracted leukemia and passed away, leaving Samira, her mother, and her three siblings in a crumbling mud brick house. Eventually, the house crumbled so much that they had to abandon it and move in with an uncle and his five children, who all cram into his tiny two-room partially roofed house that has a pit in the ground for a bathroom.
Meanwhile, old neighbors have seen that their property and crumbling home are unoccupied, and are trying to steal their land.
Samira’s family has fended them off so far, but needs to rebuild a home on the land and move back to keep it and to avoid the inhuman living conditions of their uncle’s home. They are contributing money from their savings and inheritance, and Coptic Orphans has partnered with the local diocese to provide another amount.
The remaining amount that we need to raise for them so that they can build a new home is $2,104.
August 25th, 2008 - UPDATE: A generous contributor from Massachussets sent a check for the entire amount so that Samira's family can have their basic right to adequate housing and be free from the injustice of impending theft. The contributer told us in an email, “I think its wrong for the neightbors to try to steal it from them, I can't let that happen in good conscience when I have the funds to help her family.” Thank you!
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Morey’s* father died at the age of 26 from cancer when Morey was only six years old. Morey, his mother, and his four siblings live temporarily in a house owned by their father’s brother, but cannot stay for much longer. The brother-in-law uses the house as a second home, and when he comes Morey’s family is without privacy and independence. Morey’s industrious mother refused to accept a life of dependence and breeds poultry to provide some income for the family to supplement her meager widow’s pension. Still, what she earns is barely enough to provide a few necessities and will not allow her to provide the home that her children desperately need. Coptic Orphans has partnered with Morey’s local church, who can contribute a small amount for a plot of land on which to build a house. We need to raise $2,000 for the remaining amount to buy the land and build a modest but independent home for Morey’s determined family.
August 6th, 2008 - UPDATE:A generous contributor from NJ called us to contribute the entire amount needed. Thank you!
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Magdi's* family of three members live in a mud and reed home in rural Egypt. Their home has partially collapsed and has suffered from fires several times. They need their home completely re-built, and that will cost the equivalent of $1,875 US dollars.
June 27th, 2008 - UPDATE: A generous contributor from the US called us to contribute the entire amount needed for the house construction. Thank you!
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Peter* lives with his mother and three siblings in a house that has no ceiling or walls. After his father died, his family was left with no way to procure adequate housing.
Peter and his siblings are exposed to extreme heat in the summer and to the bitter cold and rain in the winter. They share their house with livestock, which makes their living situation unhygienic, and Peter complains that other children at school make fun of him because of his living situation.
Peter wants to succeed in school so that he can break the cycle of poverty, but he needs a safe and secure home to study and overcome his circumstances. With $2,318 we will build a roof, walls, and a second room with a staircase so that Peter and his siblings can be warm, safe, secure, and confident.
June 3rd, 2008 - UPDATE: A generous contributor from Australia has stepped up to provide the entire amount for Peter's family. He told us: "I cannot live with myself knowing that I have a roof over my head and Peter and his family don't." May God reward you for your genorosity.
Coptic Orphans will provide renovations for Peter's family so that Peter can succeed. This is an example of the basic right to adequate housing, among others, that Coptic Orphans enables children like Peter to enjoy. Every day Coptic Orphans Reps work tirelessly to equip their children with tools like housing, literacy, health, and the fostering of God-given talents to break the cycle of poverty.
*Name changed to protect the dignity and privacy of the child.
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