 |
| Widows at a Coptic
Orphans workshop learn how to access their civil rights and access
critical government services. |
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.
To
which Sonia replied, “I’m not asking for a hand-out. I’m here for
my children’s rights,” and handed him an application for government
benefits.
Sonia
is a mother of three from Upper Egypt, and a widow. Sonia attended
a Coptic Orphans workshop for mothers earlier this year, and heard
about how to access critical government services that might be available
to her and her children. Not only did Sonia learn the procedure for
getting birth certificates, health insurance and voter registration
cards, but she learned about special services she and her children
were eligible for, something she and many other widows there knew
nothing about.
So
what did Sonia do? She headed straight for the local social security
office, a few towns away, determined to get her rights.
When
Sonia handed the unhelpful clerk the application, he ripped it up
in front of her. He probably expected Sonia to behave as most other
impoverished mothers and just murmur some pleas for assistance and
God’s mercy before walking away, dejected.
Sonia
replied: "I’m not asking for a hand-out. I’m here for my
children’s rights..." |
But
Sonia was done passively waiting for others to help her. Much to the
clerk’s surprise, Sonia not only stood her ground, she demanded to speak with the director. When the director examined her case,
he found Sonia was in the right, and reprimanded the clerk.
Sonia
got an apology, and her papers were expedited so that she would not
have to make repeated trips to check on their status as they made
their way through Egypt’s notorious bureaucracy. Sonia was able to
leave the office with everything she needed to help her children get
through school, and, it seems, with her head held at least a little
bit higher.
Thank
you, Sonia, for showing us what empowerment looks like. And God bless
you and your children.
*name changed
to protect privacy
