• Education

Egypt: A Hostel for Underprivileged Young Girls in Cairo

Egypt seriously hit by terrorist attacks

  • In recent years, Egyptians have been seriously affected by terrorist attacks and for Egyptian Copts, who constitute the largest minority group in the Middle East, this is very much the case. On 8 April 2017, a bomb attack near a Coptic church in the north of Cairo during Palm Sunday Mass resulted in 27 fatalities. A second explosion close to a church in Alexandria caused 16 deaths on the same day.
  • Two thirds of Egyptian Eastern Christians – the majority of whom are Copts – live in the north of the country.

The congregation of the Little Sisters of Jesus

  • The congregation of the Little Sisters of Jesus settled in Egypt in 1954. The sisters are committed to helping the very poor, often living in areas of great religious diversity, where they work to encourage the communities to live together in peace. Their main charism lies in teaching, education and the advancement of young girls. For this purpose, the sisters have purchased 1,600 m² of land in Cairo where they plan to build a house, a students' hostel, and a hospital.

The project: a reception centre for underprivileged young girls

  • The 418 m2 house is currently under construction. There will be four floors accommodating the sisters of the community and young female students from poor neighbourhoods in Cairo. The ground floor is already well underway and expenditure will cover the construction of the three upper floors, including flooring, walls, doors, bathrooms, electrical system, plumbing, painting, etc. The sisters plan to have 10 beds per floor with communal areas such as a lounge, library, kitchen, etc.
 
  • The total budget is €625,000.
 
  • L'Œuvre d’Orient has been supporting the Little Sisters of Jesus for many years in their mission educating and providing charity to help the poorest in Egyptian society. Recently, the community made an appeal for substantial funds to restore their Institute in Cairo. They are also extremely active in child protection and helping the disabled in the Fayoum region.
 
For payments by cheque or money transfer, please indicate project code: T70528