February 13, 2007
Dear Family and Friends,
Mr. Khalil Moustafa Khalil (center), lawyer of National Council
of Childhood and Motherhood, accepting the TFD amendments to
the 1996 Egyptian Child Law.
When I last wrote you in September 2006, the Together for Family
Development Network (TFD), a project of the Presbyterian Hunger
Program, had just selected as its advocacy target mainstreaming
children with disabilities in Egyptian public primary schools.
Now I have the joy of telling you that we have successfully concluded
Phase I of our campaign. In December, the National Council of
Childhood and Motherhood agreed to include our recommendations
in amendments to the 1996 Child Law, which they will submit to
the People’s Assembly in March or April 2007. Our proposed
changes clearly state that children with disability have the same
right to public education as children without disability.
During our advocacy campaign we
- Hired a lawyer to propose wording for amendments to the Child
Law
- Formed a coalition with other concerned stakeholders including,
Save the Children UK, Islamic Relief, and SETI Center, a training
center teaching parents and teachers how to develop the abilities
of children with intellectual disabilities
- Organized a series of five conferences to disseminate the
results of our study on the "Policies and Practices of
Admission to Public Schools and their Impact on Children with
Disabilities"
- Included children with disability in the campaign
- Obtained impressive newspaper and television media coverage
Ashraf Ramadan speaks at TFD media event in Middle Egypt about
his experience of being excluded from public education.
Here is one person's story of disability:
The school refused my enrolment because I suffer from poliomyelitis.
At age 14, while working as a mechanic, I began attending literacy
classes and I obtained a preparatory school certificate. Afterward,
when I tried to join a technical school in keeping with my skills,
I was refused due to my disability. I went to a commercial school
through an opportunity sent to me from God and I learned computer
skills.
For me, education is a matter of challenging dark rooms closed
to people similar to myself. I hope that the walls of these
rooms will be destroyed by the hand of the law which doesn’t
discriminate between children with disabilities and children
without disabilities. (Ashraf Ramadan, now 36 years old)
Our success is a major encouragement to TFD member organizations.
They have realized that collectively they can have a positive
impact at the policy level. This is an extremely important lesson
in a country where there is a restrictive environment for NGOs
and where political apathy is widespread.
A young man with intellectual disability at another of the five
media events. His sash says "I have the right to education."
Of course, TFD has to continue to follow the process to ensure
that the amendments are submitted to and passed by the People’s
Assembly and then appropriately implemented. So we still have
a long way to go.
In my second job—at CEOSS—it’s time for me
to work on the spring newsletter and the 2006 annual report. I
enjoy the feeling of accomplishment when the final products come
off the press. I also enjoy learning more details of CEOSS work.
CEOSS partners with the Egyptian Evangelical Church in an ongoing
project to implement Bible study classes in churches throughout
Egypt, regardless of denomination. The Evangelical Church supplies
the curriculum; CEOSS prints and markets the curriculum, and annually
conducts three two-day training sessions for the leaders, emphasizing
the curriculum philosophy, the study methodologies, and the “hot
issues” in Egyptian society as related to the Bible. The
curriculum presents stimulating lessons that explore the biblical
message and how to apply it to daily life. During 2006, 136 churches
hosted 233 study groups totaling 4156 people.
CEOSS also partners with the Egyptian Evangelical Church in a
program to train pastors and lay leaders from Protestant, Orthodox,
and Catholic Churches in peace building and conflict mitigation.
Clergy and lay leaders participate in lecture-style courses and
interactive training workshops on topics such as “Negotiation
and Confrontation,” “Forgiveness and Reconciliation”
and “Leadership and Change.” Their new skills help
Christian leaders address conflicts within families, congregations,
and within society.
In April 2006, CEOSS and five partner NGOs launched a project
on informal marriage, a growing phenomenon among Muslim youth
who wish to have sexual relations without the responsibility of
formal marriage. The man and woman sign an informal contract,
which may be for a period as short as one night. The aim of the
CEOSS project is to discourage informal marriage by raising awareness
of the inherent problems, and to encourage male partners to accept
responsibility for their actions.
My son Charles will be 14 this month. Although he sometimes has
trouble concentrating in class, he has done well with his studies,
especially Arabic and history. He has a wide circle of friends,
which now includes girls! He is a sports enthusiast and enjoys
playing a computer game called Guild Wars.
Charles and I will spend the summer in the United States. Charles
will participate in a variety of activities with his extended
family. I will speak in churches. I am especially targeting the
Presbyteries of Des Moines and of Southern New England. Let me
know if you would like to hear from me.
Blessings in Christ in this season of Lent.
Nancy and Charles
The 2007 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p.
158
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