Coptic Orphans Support Association

COPTIC ORPHANS IMPROVES THE LIVES OF ORPHANS AND OTHER VULNERABLE (CONTINUED ON SCHEDULE O)CHILDREN IN EGYPT BY PROVIDING BASIC NEEDS, EDUCATION, AND MENTORING SO THAT THEY MAY REALIZE THEIR POTENTIAL TO BECOME PRODUCTIVE MEMBERS OF SOCIETY.

CHILD DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM: NOT ALONE - SERVES OVER 15,564 ORPHANS AND THEIR FAMILIES IN 60+ DIOCESES IN EGYPT. EACH CHILD IN NOT ALONE, THROUGH A MENTORING AND NURTURING RELATIONSHIP WITH ONE OF COPTIC ORPHANS' 825 CHURCH-BASED VOLUNTEER REPRESENTATIVES, OR "REPS," RECEIVES THE PROTECTION, SUPPORT, AND CONFIDENCE THAT WAS LOST WHEN THEIR FATHER DIED OR ABANDONED THEM. THE EMPHASIS OF THE NOT ALONE PROGRAM IS NOT ON CHARITY, BUT RATHER ON THE TRANSFORMATION OF CHILDREN AND THOSE AROUND THEM. PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS GAIN THE RESOURCES TO BREAK THE CYCLE OF POVERTY, AS WELL AS THE COURAGE TO BECOME CHANGE-MAKERS IN THEIR OWN COMMUNITIES. COPTIC ORPHANS ADDRESSES BOTH IMMEDIATE AND LONG-TERM NEEDS SO THAT NOT ALONE CHILDREN CAN DEAL SUCCESSFULLY WITH THE ACADEMIC, SOCIAL, AND EMOTIONAL CHALLENGES THEY FACE. BECAUSE COPTIC ORPHANS FOCUSES ON EDUCATION AS THE PRIMARY TOOL TO EMPOWER CHILDREN TO BECOME SELF-SUFFICIENT, WELL-ADJUSTED ADULTS, NOT ALONE PRIORITIZES GIVING THEM LITERACY AND OTHER SKILLS THAT HELP THEM SUCCEED IN SCHOOL. THE CHILDREN ARE ENCOURAGED TO DEVELOP THEIR GOD-GIVEN TALENTS SO THAT THEY CAN OVERCOME THEIR OWN CIRCUMSTANCES AND TRANSFORM FUTURE GENERATIONS. EACH OF THE REPS IS NOMINATED BY THEIR BISHOP IN THE COPTIC ORTHODOX CHURCH. THE REPS WORK WITH FATHERLESS FAMILIES IN SOME OF THE MOST IMPOVERISHED COMMUNITIES IN EGYPT, FROM THE SLUMS OF CAIRO TO REMOTE RURAL VILLAGES. EACH REP HAS RELATIONSHIPS WITH 15-25 CHILDREN, AND SERVES EACH BY:VISITING THE CHILD ON A REGULAR BASIS IN THEIR HOME TO ASSESS AND PROVIDE FOR BASIC NEEDS AND ADDRESS UNDERLYING PROBLEMS ROOTED IN THE HOME LIFE OF THE CHILD.CONNECTING THE CHILD AND THEIR MOTHER AND SIBLINGS TO ASSISTANCE IN AREAS SUCH AS ACADEMIC TUTORING AND MENTORING FOR SPECIAL TALENTS OR NEEDS.EDUCATING AND ADVOCATING FOR FAMILIES TO ACCESS CIVIL RIGHTS SUCH AS BIRTH CERTIFICATES, GOVERNMENT-PROVIDED WIDOWS' PENSIONS, LAND RIGHTS, AND GOVERNMENT IDS.GATHERING CHILDREN AND THEIR MOTHERS IN SPECIALIZED WORKSHOPS THAT BUILD SKILLS IN LITERACY, LEADERSHIP, COMPUTERS, HOUSEHOLD FINANCE, RELATIONSHIP-BUILDING, CULTURAL APPRECIATION, JOB READINESS, AND INCOME GENERATION, AS WELL AS COVERING CRITICAL TOPICS IN EFFECTIVE PARENTING, DISEASE PREVENTION, AND PREVENTING FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION.FUTURE LEADERS SCHOLARSHIP - THE FUTURE LEADERS SCHOLARSHIP IS IS A COMPETITIVE SCHOLARSHIP INITIATIVE DESIGNED FOR NOT ALONE HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATES WHO ARE DISTINGUISHED FOR THEIR ACADEMIC, PERSONAL, LEADERSHIP, AND VOLUNTEERING ACCOMPLISHMENTS. IT AIMS TO PROVIDE THE PARTICIPANTS WITH FINANCIAL, MORAL, AND SOCIAL SUPPORT TO PURSUE HIGHER EDUCATION IN THE FIELD OF THEIR CHOICE, TO DEVELOP THEIR LEADERSHIP SKILLS, AND TO INSTILL VALUES OF VOLUNTEERISM AND SERVICE, WHICH WILL ENHANCE THEIR POTENTIAL TO LEAD CHANGE IN THEIR COMMUNITIES.

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM - THE VALUABLE GIRL PROJECT IS A MULTI-FACETED DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM THAT TARGETS MARGINALIZED GIRLS AND YOUNG WOMEN IN HIGH-POVERTY AREAS IN EGYPT. VALUABLE GIRL'S MAIN GOAL IS TO EMPOWER GIRLS ON THE INTRAPERSONAL, INTERACTIONAL, AND BEHAVIORAL LEVELS BY INVESTING IN THEIR POTENTIALS AND EMPOWERING THEM TO MAXIMIZE THEIR INFLUENCE IN THEIR COMMUNITIES. THE PROJECT BRINGS TOGETHER MUSLIM AND CHRISTIAN GIRLS (AGES 7-22) IN A BIG SISTER-LITTLE SISTER MENTORSHIP ARRANGEMENT THAT PROMOTES PEACEFUL CO-EXISTENCE, STRENGTHENS GIRLS' UNDERSTANDING OF THEIR RIGHTS, AND IMPROVES ACADEMIC RETENTION RATES, ALONG WITH OTHER POSITIVE SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC OUTCOMES FOR PARTICIPANTS. THIS UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY EMPOWERS GIRLS AND YOUNG WOMEN TO CONTINUE THEIR EDUCATION, RAISE THEIR SELF-ESTEEM, DEVELOP DECISION-MAKING AND LEADERSHIP SKILLS, RAISE AWARENESS ON GENDER-BASEDVIOLENCE AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, REDUCE THEIR SOCIAL ISOLATION AND BREAK THE BARRIERS OF SECTARIANISM.SINCE ITS INCEPTION 20 YEARS AGO, THE PROJECT HAS OPERATED IN 184 SITES ACROSS EGYPT AND EMPOWERED MORE THAN 15,000 GIRLS AND YOUNG WOMEN. IN THE CURRENT CYCLE (2021-2023), THE PROJECT OPERATES IN 20 LOCATIONS IN FOUR GOVERNORATES, NAMELY CAIRO, MINYA, ASYUT AND QENA TARGETING 2,000 GIRLS AND YOUNG WOMEN AND BUILDING THE CAPACITY OF 80 ON-SITE STAFF MEMBERS FROM 20 COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATIONS (CDAS).21 PROGRAM - IT IS A FULLY PAID TRIP BY COPTIC ORPHANS THAT AIMS TO GIVE COPTIC YOUNG ADULTS IN THE DIASPORA THE OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE IN EGYPT WHILE LEARNING ABOUT THEIR HERITAGE AND COPTIC IDENTITY. WHILE IN EGYPT, FELLOWS OF THE 21 PROGRAM SERVE COPTIC ORPHANS CHILDREN, VISIT CHURCHES AND CULTURAL SITES, AND STRENGTHEN THEIR TIES WITH THEIR ROOTS AND HERITAGE. PARTICIPANTS WERE SELECTED BASED ON CERTAIN CRITERIA. IN 2023, 100 FELLOWS SERVED ROUGHLY 2,000 CHILDREN IN EGYPT IN TWO DIFFERENT GROUPS FROM JUNE 8 TO JULY 3 AND FROM JULY 13 TO AUGUST 7.SERVE TO LEARN - IS A DYNAMIC PROGRAM THAT STRENGTHENS THE TIES OF COPTIC DIASPORA VOLUNTEERS (SECOND AND THIRD GENERATION EGYPTIANS) WITH THEIR HOMELAND, EGYPT, THROUGH SERVING UNDERPRIVILEGED CHILDREN OVER A SPAN OF THREE WEEKS. THE PROGRAM STRIVES TO PROVIDE YOUTH THE HANDS-ON EXPERIENCE AND ENABLES THEM NOT ONLY TO WITNESS THE CHALLENGES UNDERSERVED CHILDREN FACE, BUT ACTIVELY PARTICIPATE IN THE EFFORT TO IMPROVE THEIR LIVES BY CONTRIBUTING, ALBEIT SHORT-TERM, TO THEIR EDUCATION. BY LIVING IN THEIR VILLAGES, TEACHING IN CLASSROOMS, VISITING THEIR HOMES, AND ENGAGING WITH THEIR COMMUNITY, THE VOLUNTEERS RECEIVE A MULTI-DIMENSIONAL VIEW OF A NOT ALONE CHILD. THE IMMERSIVE NATURE OF THE EXPERIENCE LETS VOLUNTEERS SEE A CHILD FROM MULTIPLE VANTAGES TO GIVE THEM A DEEPER AND MORE INSIGHTFUL UNDERSTANDING OF EACH CHILD BEYOND THE VENEER OF POVERTY. UPON THEIR RETURN, THEY ARE EQUIPPED TO ADVOCATE AS AMBASSADORS FOR THE CAUSE OF DISADVANTAGED CHILDREN IN EGYPT. SERVE TO LEARN VOLUNTEERS AND ALUMNI THEN BECOME THE DRIVING FORCE FOR FUTURE DEVELOPMENT OF THE COUNTRY. IN 2023, THE SERVE TO LEARN PROGRAM BROUGHT 21 VOLUNTEERS TO SERVE ROUGHLY 500 CHILDREN IN EGYPT FROM JANUARY 21 TO FEBRUARY 11.