Raise Education | Persecution

2022/09/25 Egypt (International Christian Concern) – More than 325 Egyptian children attend ICC’s educational center, Hope House. In a country where Christians are considered second-class citizens, Hope House seeks to break the cycle of intergenerational persecution by providing access to quality education and upward mobility.

Hope House is an innovative alternative to public school education, where Christian children are largely marginalized and poorly educated.

Mariam, who teaches at one of the centers, said: “There is a big difference between them. We focus on our children individually and care very much about them.”

Hope House classes are one-third the size of public school classes, allowing students’ teachers to provide a more individualized education.

The Child Sponsorship Program provides incentives for children and their families to stay in school. Especially during the summer, a poor Christian boy quits school and works in the fields, earning him less than US$2 a day. Girls are usually tasked with helping with household chores and learning household skills.

Sponsored children receive intentional discipleship in collaboration with each center’s partner church. They and their families receive monthly groceries to make up for the income shortfall caused by their children’s devotion to education rather than work. Children attend regular checkups and medications as needed, enjoy cultural excursions, and receive special gifts such as new clothes throughout the year.

As a result of the benefits of the sponsorship program, parents are focusing on the importance of their children’s education.

Lena, who teaches science at one of the centers, said: “Within just two weeks of the program, parents have supported their children’s participation in classes, and they consider this service essential for their children. I am thinking.”

Mariam shared about the improvements she has seen with her students since they started, “There was a kid in my class who didn’t know how to hold a pen or write. The most neglected thing for the children here is education.”

The ICC opened another center this summer in prayer, believing that the children in this new village would receive the sponsorship and educational encouragement they needed to move beyond second-class citizenship.

Please join us in praying for the growth of our new center and our local partner church, and for the growth of our local Christian children and their families.

Partnership with ICC

Only 40% of eligible children in Hope Homes are sponsored. The ICC invites loyal donors who want to make a difference in the lives of these Egyptian children. If you want to make a difference, visit www.persecution.org/initiatives/hope-house/ or email icc@persecution.org.

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