FAMILY SUPPORT

It takes several months—even sometimes years—for refugees to be registered and receive the documentation they need. In the interim, refugees are unable to access services to meet some of their most basic needs.

Our family support programs provide for refugees’ most basic and immediate needs—food, clothing, information—while also providing for wider needs, such as childcare and community.

Our programs run along three key themes: humanitarian assistance, youth programs, and the Happy Child Preschool.

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HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE

 

 We register refugees when they first arrive in Cairo in our office in Zamalek. Many of them, newcomers in an overwhelming city, find themselves in particularly vulnerable and difficult circumstances.

After registration and a brief assessment process, we aim to provide food, clothing, blankets and emergency support for refugees and their families in their first 2 years in Egypt. This time is crucial, and providing immediate relief for short-term issues helps refugees and their families find their footing in Cairo.


YOUTH

 

Refuge Egypt’s Youth Program seeks to encourage and educate refugee youth in a relaxed and safe environment so they may know God, respect each other, and be prepared for life in Egypt.

Limited access to education and work leaves many youth with little prospect for self-improvement, vulnerable to negative social pressures, and without guidance. The stresses refugee youth face from their family and peers, as well as the difficulties of living in Egypt, often leave them looking for ways to cope and manage stress.

For these youth, we’ve hosted seminars and conferences addressing key ‘taboo’ issues in the community, sports outreach, mentorship, and fellowship. We’ve also linked youth with pastors and counsellors for sessions on grief and trauma, and hosted a reconciliation conference with Sudanese street gangs. Our current focus is on education and mentorship in the refugee community.

PRESCHOOL

 

 Access to education is one of the most essential needs denied to refugee children. Although in theory refugee children are able to attend Egyptian schools, in the absence of clear regulations, many schools simply refuse.

The Happy Child Preschool, based in Maadi, provides the foundational literacy, numeracy, and social skills for access to further education, as well as the structure and the predictability all children need.

KG 0, 1 and 2 classes are 5 days a week, and Montessori-trained teachers cover a range of topics, including English, Arabic, math, music, and religious studies, with free and structured play throughout the day.