Egypt, Middle East

EGY09 - GIFT Project

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Key Partnership Information:

• Partnership Ref.: EGY09

• Commenced: 25/05/2026

• Funding Status: No Current Donor

• Partnership Type: Humanitarian, Micro-enterprise / Micro-loans

• Funding Size: $3,000 - $7,999

• Annual Budget: US$ 4,400

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Current Partnership Impact:

• 100 families are being assisted

• 35 families per week - unsure how many are the same families

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Other Partnership Information:

• No reports available yet

• No partnership video available yet

• Email us about supporting this partnership

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Partnership Overview

During COVID-19, a group of evangelical friends from Coptic and Presbyterian churches in the city of Assiut discovered that many poor people in the city were being driven deeper into poverty. Many people lost jobs and were unable to find new employment. Of course, there were many without jobs at all.

The group of friends began to meet every Wednesday to pray, plan and study the needs they observed in people they knew. It became obvious that the local hospitals were not coping with the overwhelming number of people requiring oxygen. So, they bought five oxygen cylinders to help people in their homes, especially those who were suffering from bronchitis, cancer and long COVID. This grew rapidly until they had 260 tanks. Someone provided a store for them; 260 tanks required a lot of storage room. During COVID, they served 690 people and were the only ones doing this. The hospitals had no oxygen, so they obtained a small van to visit factories that produce oxygen. One factory is in the community, and another in another city some distance away. Both factories were very unreliable.

Since COVID, the work has continued and developed; they still help about 35 people per week. One of the volunteers manages a database, and when someone rings in for a bottle, she sends a message out to the group. Someone then volunteers and does what is required for the person, delivering, picking up or replacing their bottle. Also, many people in this community cannot afford medication or medical tests, so they try to help them. They frequently send people to the Soul Salvation Society clinic. This has been a great help.

They expected that the work would die off once COVID passed. However, as they got out into the community and discovered the scale of poverty and the impact, they decided they would continue to be involved. 

The team started with three people, but that has now grown to 20. They are motivated by the need they see around them. They are also motivated by the story of one of the original three who was saved from dying during COVID by a miracle. Because God intervened, it gave them the courage to go out and continue to visit people even though there was the risk of catching COVID. None of them caught COVID, and they felt they were protected. They just wanted to do what Jesus would do and deliver the love and peace of Jesus to people. “We just felt compelled to get out of our church pews and meet the needs of people and be the hands and feet of Jesus, to spread the love of God."

They want to continue serving the poor, but they do not have the resources to do that as effectively as they would like. 

Many aspects of this partnership are underway in a small way:
- They assist people with living costs, basic food, housing, health and education
- They continue to supply oxygen gas bottles to those who suffer from chronic lung issues and long COVID 
- One couple could not have children, and they assisted with IVF treatment, and the wife gave birth to triplets
- They help people make bookings with doctors and act as agents for people who cannot afford treatment
- They frequently meet Muslim people who have disabled children
- They have helped many girls get married by helping them get together the items that are required
- They collect and distribute second-hand clothing, washing it and packaging it beautifully.

Since they began, they have assisted more than 2,200 families. 

History of Partnership

BHW became involved with the Soul Salvation Society in Assiut (EGY06) through existing partners, N and S. On a visit to Assiut in 2023, N organised a meeting with the GIFT team as he thought they were doing good work among the poor in Assiut and reaching people who were not being assisted. 

After meeting the team, a profile of what they were doing was developed, and in 2025, when the BHW facilitator was in Egypt, N suggested that the time might be right for us to consider partnering with them.  

Beneficiaries

They have seen and continue to meet a lot of people and are discovering more and more needs. It is into this need that they want to move. People are searching for food these days in rubbish bins, and they want to intervene to help them gain dignity, to produce food themselves and to start small-scale businesses. They have already started helping people in this way.  

What We Like About The Partnership

They come highly recommended from N, another one of our partners in Egypt
They are helping the poorest of the poor
There is a component of economic empowerment in their strategy
They are volunteers, so very few admin costs
They are a vibrant bunch of young activists 

 

Key People

Leadership Profile

We do not have a lot of detail about any one person. There are several and as it began as an informal group, there is no detailed organisational structure. However, they are now officially registered under the Ministry of Social Solidarity in Egypt.

The people BHW has met are:
- AM - a banker
- AS - PE teacher and chairman 
- FS - finance
- MR - IT
- MA - philosophy student
- CM - pharmacist

Vision And Annual Strategy

The vision is to see as many people as possible become self-sustaining economically. However, there is overwhelming poverty in this community, greatly worsened by COVID and its aftermath. Although many could never manage a business, they have already helped several individuals start small businesses and income-generating projects including, helping a woman start a small beauty and hairdressing business, assisting a young man to purchase a motorcycle so he could work in delivery services and support his family, providing goods and starting inventory for a small supermarket business, and supporting other small individual projects based on each family’s skills and circumstances. They have seen very encouraging results from these projects because they provide people with dignity, stability, and a long-term source of income rather than only temporary relief.

At the same time, they still try to balance this with mercy ministry for families in urgent need, especially widows, elderly people, and extremely poor families. They continue to provide several forms of practical support, including an oxygen ministry for patients in need, assistance for sick and elderly individuals, clothing exhibitions for poor families, and the distribution of food boxes to families facing difficult economic conditions.

There is no charge for the service, and it has become a great witness to the community, especially to Muslim people. They know that Jesus is in charge and the vision is from the verses in Matthew 25v35-36 "For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me."

 

Annual Budget

The annual budget will be used to address two issues:
1) to provide small loans to those with opportunities
2) to assist people in emergencies

The total will be split between the two, with discretion to use where the need is greatest, but with the understanding that BHW wants as much as possible to go towards development. 

 

Personal Testimony

Real "Life Change" Stories

-  One woman started a beauty salon three years ago, and this has been doing well up to now. 

-  Another lady was helped to buy an oven, and she bakes bread daily and sells it. 

-  Another person got a tuk-tuk to use as a taxi and now has a permanent income.