Churches in Cairo, Egypt, run schools and job-skills programs for refugees

The Coptic Orthodox Church’s Pontifical Office of Projects, which is attached to the church’s headquarters, has contributed to the establishment of eight schools in Egypt’s governorates and one for refugee children in Cairo. A church spokesman said the work is connected to the interest of Pope Tawadros II in supporting education in Egypt.

The spokesman described the African Community School of Primary and Secondary Education, established by Pope Tawadros II in 2014, as a school for Sudanese refugees in Cairo. The school has continued to receive support from the Pontifical Office of Projects since it opened. Its stated aims include teaching all subjects in the Sudanese curriculum, reducing the financial burden on parents, and preparing students to sit basic and Sudanese secondary school examinations so they can progress to universities and higher institutes. The school also provides employment for 18 teachers and three workers. Since it opened, 240 students have graduated, and another 360 are currently studying at different levels.

Father Kerlis, organizer of the Diaconal Office of the Catholic Church, told the newspaper Al-Youm Al-Sabea that Egypt hosts a large number of refugees, who he said often face difficulty integrating into society. He said the Church has worked to teach Egyptian culture through courses, to introduce refugees to Egyptian society through trips to the pyramids and museums, to teach Arabic and Egyptian history, and to support livelihoods through certain crafts.

The Episcopal Church’s refugee service, which it said it has offered for 30 years, serves people who have fled conflicts and wars in their home regions. The service also draws many young men and women into the Centre’s spiritual and social activities. According to the account, the service began with a group of Egyptian women who helped refugee women learn a trade that could provide income, with the participation of the Episcopal Church and several organizations, although those partnerships later separated.

The Church said half of the refugees in Egypt are Syrians, but the Episcopal Church works more often with Africans, because Syrians can engage with society more quickly. Its support includes humanitarian assistance such as food, clothing, protective supplies against the coronavirus such as sterilizers, and financial help in cases of serious need. This assistance reflects a practice of welcoming people in need (Matthew 25:35).

The Episcopal Church also works to build refugees’ skills through language courses and training in soft skills, along with guidance on basic expectations for daily life in Egyptian society. It said it seeks to identify refugees’ skills, develop them, and help place people in jobs at various companies and factories, as well as in household work.

The Church also receives funding from a United Nations programme for the health of pregnant refugees, tuberculosis patients, and children under five years of age.

Source: Read the original report (translated from Arabic)