Dear Family and Friends,

Christian greetings to you from Cairo, Egypt, where Charles has begun his third year of school. After 2 ½ years at New Ramses College, a school of the Synod of the Nile, Charles is going this year to the British International School. It is a new school with beautiful facilities, lots of play space, small classes, native English speakers for teachers, and stress on creativity and critical thinking. His "best friend" there seems to vary from week to week. One week it was Mohammed, with whom he speaks in Arabic; one week it was Tom who shared Pokémon cards with him. He was anxious about school the first day, but now seems happy and well adjusted.

This past year I have really been conscious of the lack of recreational and educational resources for children in Egypt. Because of the limited amount of inhabitable land, virtually everyone in Cairo lives in apartments without any outside play space. The idea that children are beings who need to be encouraged in creativity, in recreation, in a variety of experiences is in embryonic form here. This is a bit of a problem for a creative 7-year- old bursting with energy. It’s also a challenge for his mother.

Over the years CEOSS has become aware of the needs of children. From its earliest days it addressed children’s needs for health care and education. In 1980 it initiated children’s clubs. These were conceived as a safe-haven where children could go to explore themselves and the special world children inhabit. The curriculum encourages children in
problem-solving, logical thinking skills, evaluation, and self-expression. Periodically, volunteer leaders at the children’s clubs take the children on field trips to museums, parks and factories. Through the field trips, leaders are also developed, as children with leadership skills are selected for special responsibilities.

In 1998, a program was begun in Kom Ghorab, a squatter community in Southern Cairo. The majority of the community’s 20,000 inhabitants migrated to the city from rural areas in Upper Egypt 15 years ago in search of employment and a better life. Residents built their own homes in an unplanned manner out of materials at hand. Most of the families live in one-room houses that lean one upon the other, haphazard but closely integrated. Alleyways lead through houses; the boundaries between public and private space are not clearly defined.

As a squatter community, it lacked basic infrastructure such as clean water, electricity, and sewage. Often two to five families averaging seven members each shared a latrine. Because there was no solid waste management system, garbage was found all over the community. Moreover, there were no public services such as schools, healthcare facilities, or green areas.

CEOSS encouraged the community to think about the needs of children. A committee of children and adults identified these issues:

• Due to the parents economic situation, children often did not receive preventive or curative medical care

• Education was not available for all children, especially after the primary stage

• There was discrimination between boys and girls in treatment, education, and encouragement in self-expression

• Many children worked in unsuitable jobs

• Children did not have an opportunity to express themselves or participate in solving their problems

A children’s art project evolved out of these discussions. Children needed to be able to express themselves and to draw attention to their problems. Singing songs of protest, writing down their experiences, and making drawings were ideas they suggested. When the idea of doing murals came up, everyone agreed that would make the biggest impact.

A local artist enlisted two of his friends to help him with the mural. According to the artists, "We began by giving the children some basic lessons in art history. We took them on trips to the Egyptian Museum, the Coptic Museum, and openings of some private galleries. As you can imagine, this was exciting for them, and quite an experience for us. There were 20 of them, between the ages of 9 and 15. Some had never been out of their district before. We held art classes to teach them how to express their ideas on paper. After about six months we were ready to start painting on the walls." The designs for the project came from ideas discussed with the children and inspired by the United Nations Declaration of the International Rights of the Child.

Waleed, a 14 year old boy, helped paint a mural depicting two boys, one studying, the other working. He explains his imagery: "The bright colors and clear blue sky surrounding the boy studying show that he has a great future, while the other looks on sadly from the grim surroundings of the factory."

When the murals were completed, a celebration for the project was held. Government dignitaries, journalists, and approximately 400 members of the community attended. The children put on a program of singing, playing musical instruments and reciting poetry.

Let us praise God for the work CEOSS is doing with children. Let us pray that the needs of children—physical, spiritual, and psychological—will be more widely recognized in Egypt. Please pray also for Charles’ well being and for wisdom for me at home and at work.

May the peace and joy of Christ be yours.

Nancy Collins