Partnership Ref.:	EGY03a
Commenced:	25/07/2024
Funding Status:	Fully Funded
Partnership Type:	Orphans & Vulnerable Children, Training / Education, Humanitarian
Funding Size:	$8,000 - $14,999
Annual Budget:	US$ 9,900
Connected To:	EGY03

Partnership Overview

The Al Amal community is huge, around 2 million people and about 50% of them are Christians. Pastor A has been pastoring this church for several years but in 2023 decided he must move in with his people and has shifted into the community. There is a lot of poverty as most of the people who come to this place to find opportunity get stuck. There is a lack of education, ignorance, every type of addiction, internet gambling, abuse, incest and violence. There is a lot of poverty and illness because of that. Pregnant women do not eat well, and many children are born with anaemia. People do not access medical attention early on, so a lot of illness becomes chronic. 

Pastor A is concerned that the majority of Christian children do not get a good start to education and because of this, they fail at school and drop out early thus continuing the cycle of poverty in families. He wants to address the lack of value people place on education and get children into education as early as possible. He intends to start three classes for children starting at ages 3-4. The intention is to have 60 children in three classes. The two women running the programme are very experienced. One runs a kindergarten at Nasr City church and the other is a child psychologist.  

Currently in the church building there are three churches operating, two for Sudanese and one for Arab people. There are more than 400 children in the children and youth ministries. The place is always full of people and noise with classes and training for various groups. It is a true community hub. 

They have a dream to develop a ministry to children with autism and other mental health issues. Autism is at epidemic proportions with about 25% of children affected.

History of Partnership

BHW has been partnering with Nasr City Church since 2018. The leaders there know Pastor A well and recommend him very highly. They have delivered care and loans to people in this area and see this as an extension of their social and loan programme (EGY03). We know their people well. 

BHW's New Partnership Facilitator visited Egypt in 2023 with a team and met Pastor A. It was obvious that he is a man of vision and great passion for this community. He shared his vision with us, and we were impressed. We continued to dialogue with our contact at Nasr City church and talked to a donor who decided to fund the establishment of this project. In July 2024 the BHW facilitator visited and told Pastor A the news - he was overjoyed. 

Beneficiaries

The children will primarily be the children of church members, all of whom are very poor.  Of course, the families will benefit as well as their children learn and grow and are able to get better opportunities later in life. This will impact the families of the children profoundly. 

What We Like About The Partnership

It is run by a church that has a clear understanding of its role among their people - to help the whole person flourish.
There are good leaders in place.
Some of their people will work in the project and enhance the impact.
Pastor A is a passionate advocate for his people and is making this happen for the sake of the children and their families. He is a mentor and will ensure this programme operates smoothly and the children are followed up.

 

Key People

Leadership Profile

Pastor A is a passionate man with an outgoing personality. He is committed to this community to the point of shifting his family here to be closer to his people. He is an experienced pastor. His family, wife and three children, are fully supportive of his vision. He has a good relationship with his people and is a good listener. He is able to mobilise people too, there are many people coming and going and doing various types of ministry.  

 

Vision And Annual Strategy

Vision 

The vision is to see attitudes change towards education and to see many young people get a good start to education. 

Strategy

To commence a kindergarten with three classes to prepare young children for school. The plan is for it to be the best kindergarten in the city. 

They will be charging for children to attend the kindergarten which should cover ongoing operational costs, but they do not have the ability to purchase the materials required to set up the facility. 

Three rooms in the church building have already been renovated for the kindergarten to commence. 

 

Annual Budget

A one-off amount of US$9,900 is required to provide the furniture and materials with which to operate a kindergarten, i.e. table, chairs, other furniture, TV screen, white board, toys, teaching materials etc.