COPTIC ORPHANS IS AN ORGANISATION TO BE PROUD OF
Coptic Orphans is an international, Christian development organization committed to unlocking the God-given potential of fatherless children in Egypt through the transformative power of education. Coptic Organs was founded by Nermien Riad, who remains its executive director over 30 years ago. She says:
“During a visit to Egypt while on a tour of duty with the U.S. Department of State, I was shocked by what I encountered: Coptic children living in orphanages because their fathers, the primary bread-winners, had died and their mothers had no means by which to feed or clothe them. Like many of you, my parents had left Egypt for the United States in search for a better life. So, when I witnessed the crippling poverty these innocent children were enduring, I felt an immediate and overpowering need to do something. I could not just walk away. Deep down, I knew if it weren’t for God’s grace and my parents’ determination, their lives could have been mine. So, I recruited a few friends to join me in pooling funds to send to the orphanage each month. With these modest amounts, we could ensure the 40 girls who lived there had their basic necessities taken care of.
But something followed which I did not expect: In what seemed like no time, our work gained enormous momentum. More and more people wanted to contribute: friends, family, co-workers, neighbours, and even complete strangers. I was simply astounded by the number of people who were so willing to give, not only of their hard-earned dollars, but also of their time, resources, expertise, and so much more.
Today, Coptic Orphans has reached over 55,000 children. With truly inspired donors and sponsors like you, as well as dedicated teams in Egypt, Canada, U.S., U.K., and Australia, Coptic Orphans has stood with thousands of fatherless children and countless widowed mothers throughout Egypt.
Once again, I cannot overstate the power of this movement we have built: it is a legacy for tomorrow by which we, as Copts, collectively bless our children and pass on the heritage of a Christ-cantered people and our Mother, the Church.”
Indeed, it is a powerful movement and has changed many lives. It is an example of what Copts could do to help their nation.
I am delighted to see the horizon of Coptic Orphans widens, and now they launched a campaign to protect our children from sexual abuse. It recently launched a seminar on the internet (webinar) titled “How to Protect Your Child from Sexual Abuse” to which families and individuals could sign up for free access to the Coptic Orphans. The webinar is presented in Arabic by Coptic Orphans Training and Development Manager Neveen Waheeb, PhD.
Dr. Waheeb has developed training materials on hundreds of important subjects related to child protection, including 2018 Coptic Orphans trainings on this topic in Egypt. In this presentation, she addresses the crime of child sexual abuse, and offers concrete ways one can protect his or her own family. She explains 5 important steps children can take to protect themselves:
- Risk realization/identification;
- Ways of resisting/confronting the abuser;
- Escaping from places that empower the abuser;
- Sharing what happened with a trustworthy person;
- Consulting people with special expertise to get help.
Those interested in joining can access the Webinar here.