COPTIC ORPHANS SUPPORT ASSOCIATION
PO BOX 2881, MERRIFIELD, VA 22116 www.copticorphans.org

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Organizations Filed Purposes: TO UNLOCK THE GOD-GIVEN POTENTIAL OF THE MOST VULNERABLE CHILDREN IN EGYPT.

THE NOT ALONE PROGRAM IS THE FLAGSHIP PROGRAM OF COPTIC ORPHANS, WHICH SERVES OVER 11,180 ORPHANS AND THEIR FAMILIES IN 50 DIOCESES IN EGYPT. EACH CHILD IN NOT ALONE, THROUGH A MENTORING AND NURTURING RELATIONSHIP WITH ONE OF COPTIC ORPHANS' MORE THAN 550 CHURCH-BASED VOLUNTEER "REPS," RECEIVES THE PROTECTION, SUPPORT, AND CONFIDENCE THAT WAS LOST WHEN THEIR FATHERS DIED OR ABANDONED THEM. THE EMPHASIS OF NOT ALONE IS NOT ON CHARITY, BUT RATHER ON THE TRANSFORMATION OF CHILDREN AND THOSE AROUND THEM. PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS GAIN THE RESOURCES TO BREAK THE CYCLE OF POVERTY, AS WELL AS THE COURAGE TO BECOME CHANGE-MAKERS IN THEIR OWN COMMUNITIES. COPTIC ORPHANS ADDRESSES BOTH IMMEDIATE AND LONG-TERM NEEDS SO THAT NOT ALONE CHILDREN CAN DEAL SUCCESSFULLY WITH THE ACADEMIC, SOCIAL, AND EMOTIONAL CHALLENGES THEY FACE. BECAUSE COPTIC ORPHANS FOCUSES ON EDUCATION AS THE PRIMARY TOOL TO EMPOWER CHILDREN TO BECOME SELF-SUFFICIENT, WELL-ADJUSTED ADULTS, NOT ALONE PRIORITIZES GIVING THE CHILDREN LITERACY AND OTHER SKILLS THAT HELP THEM ACHIEVE HIGH MARKS IN SCHOOL. THE CHILDREN ARE ENCOURAGED TO DEVELOP THEIR GOD-GIVEN TALENTS SO THAT THEY CAN OVERCOME THEIR OWN CIRCUMSTANCES AND TRANSFORM FUTURE GENERATIONS. EACH OF THE VOLUNTEER REPRESENTATIVES OF COPTIC ORPHANS, ("REPS"), IS NOMINATED BY THEIR BISHOP IN THE COPTIC ORTHODOX CHURCH. THE REPS WORK WITH FATHERLESS FAMILIES IN SOME OF THE MOST IMPOVERISHED COMMUNITIES IN EGYPT, FROM THE SLUMS OF CAIRO TO REMOTE RURAL VILLAGES. EACH REP HAS RELATIONSHIPS WITH 15-25 CHILDREN, AND SERVES EACH BY: - VISITING THE CHILD ON A REGULAR BASIS IN HIS OR HER HOME TO ASSESS AND PROVIDE FOR BASIC NEEDS AND ADDRESS UNDERLYING PROBLEMS ROOTED IN THE HOME LIFE OF THE CHILD. - CONNECTING THE CHILD AND HIS OR HER MOTHER AND SIBLINGS TO ASSISTANCE IN AREAS SUCH AS ACADEMIC TUTORING AND MENTORING FOR SPECIAL TALENTS OR NEEDS. - EDUCATING AND ADVOCATING FOR FAMILIES TO ACCESS CIVIL RIGHTS SUCH AS BIRTH CERTIFICATES, GOVERNMENT PROVIDED WIDOWS' PENSIONS, LAND RIGHTS, AND GOVERNMENT IDENTIFICATIONS. - GATHERING CHILDREN, THEIR MOTHERS, AND THEIR PEERS IN SPECIALIZED WORKSHOPS THAT BUILD SKILLS IN LITERACY, LEADERSHIP, COMPUTER TRAINING, HOUSEHOLD FINANCE, RELATIONSHIPS, CULTURAL APPRECIATION, JOB READINESS, AND INCOME-GENERATION, AS WELL AS COVERING CRITICAL TOPICS IN EFFECTIVE PARENTING, DISEASE PREVENTION, AND FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION.IN 2019, A NEW INITIATIVE WAS LAUNCHED UNDER NAP WHEREBY COPTIC ORPHANS OUTSOURCED THERAPY COUNSELING SERVICES FROM A SPECIALIZED NONPROFIT IN EGYPT, CALLED TAWSEELA. THE COUNSELING HELPS CHILDREN AND MOTHERS DEAL WITH PAST TRAUMA, HEAL FROM PSYCHOLOGICAL AND EMOTIONAL WOUNDS, AND GO THROUGH LIFE EQUIPPED WITH NEW AND EFFECTIVE COPING MECHANISMS.B'EDAYA INITIATIVE - THE IDEA OF BE'DAYA ARABIC FOR "WITH MY OWN HANDS"MICRO-LENDING PROJECT IS A BRAINCHILD OF COPTIC ORPHANS NOT ALONE PROGRAM. THE MAIN DRIVE BEHIND BE'DAYA INITIATIVE IS TO HELP SUPPORT FATHERLESS CHILDREN CONTINUE THEIR EDUCATION THROUGH ECONOMICALLY EMPOWERING THEIR WIDOWED MOTHERS. TO THAT END, BE'DAYA PROVIDES LOANS THAT ALLOW EACH MOTHER TO HARNESS HER OWN INNER DRIVE AND ABILITIES, AND IN THE PROCESS, BE TRANSFORMED FROM A HELPLESS, HOUSE-BOUND WIDOW INTO A SELF-SUFFICIENT BUSINESSWOMAN. EGYPT'S WIDOWS ARE OFTEN SEVERELY RESTRICTED BY TRADITIONS, AND CANNOT LEAVE THEIR HOUSE TO WORK EVEN IF THEIR FAMILIES ARE IN DIRE NEED. BE'DAYA INITIATIVE IS TAILORED TO HANDLE THESE HOSTILE CONDITIONS, ESPECIALLY IN THE POOREST, MOST REMOTE VILLAGES IN EGYPT. THE INITIATIVE TAILORS SMALL LOANS FOR MOTHERS OF KIDS IN COPTIC ORPHANS NOT ALONE PROGRAM, ALLOWING THEM TO START OR EXPAND A BUSINESS IN ANYTHING FROM ANIMAL HUSBANDRY TO SEWING AND SELLING GROCERIES. THE MOTHERS RECEIVE COACHING AND WORKSHOPS TO GIVE THEM THE PROPER TOOLS TO SUCCESSFULLY RUN THEIR BUSINESSES AND HAVE THE BEST CHANCE TO SUCCEED. THE BE'DAYA MICRO-LENDING IMITATIVE IS BASED ON A HOLISTIC APPROACH THAT EMPOWERS WOMEN TO BECOME AGENTS OF THEIR OWN DEVELOPMENT AND LIFT THEMSELVES AND THEIR FAMILIES OUT OF POVERTY. FUTURE LEADERS - FUTURE LEADERS SCHOLARSHIP (LAUNCHED IN 2016) IS A COMPETITIVE SCHOLARSHIP DESIGNED FOR NAP GENERAL HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATES WHO ARE DISTINGUISHED FOR THEIR ACADEMIC, PERSONAL, LEADERSHIP, AND VOLUNTEERING ACCOMPLISHMENTS. IT AIMS TO PROVIDE THE PARTICIPANTS WITH FINANCIAL, MORAL, AND SOCIAL SUPPORT TO PURSUE HIGHER EDUCATION IN THE FIELD THEY WANT, DEVELOP THEIR LEADERSHIP SKILLS, AND INSTILL VALUES OF VOLUNTEERISM AND SERVICE, AND ENABLE THEIR POTENTIAL TO LEAD CHANGE IN THEIR COMMUNITIES. EXAMPLES OF TAILORED ACTIVITIES UNDER THE SCHOLARSHIP INCLUDE: BOOK CLUBS, LEADERSHIP CAMPS, COMMUNITY INITIATIVES TRAININGS, AMONG OTHERS.

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT:VALUABLE GIRL PROJECT - THE VALUABLE GIRL PROJECT IS A MULTI-FACETED DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM THAT TARGETS MARGINALIZED GIRLS AND YOUNG WOMEN IN HIGH-POVERTY AREAS IN EGYPT. VALUABLE GIRL'S MAIN GOAL IS TO EMPOWER GIRLS ON THE INTRAPERSONAL, INTERACTIONAL, AND BEHAVIORAL LEVELS BY INVESTING IN THEIR POTENTIALS AND EMPOWERING THEM TO MAXIMIZE THEIR INFLUENCE IN THEIR COMMUNITIES. THE PROJECT BRINGS TOGETHER MUSLIM AND CHRISTIAN GIRLS (AGES 7-22) IN A BIG SISTER-LITTLE SISTER MENTORSHIP ARRANGEMENT THAT PROMOTES PEACEFUL CO-EXISTENCE, STRENGTHENS GIRLS' UNDERSTANDING OF THEIR RIGHTS, AND IMPROVES ACADEMIC RETENTION RATES, ALONG WITH OTHER POSITIVE SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC OUTCOMES FOR PARTICIPANTS. THIS UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY EMPOWERS GIRLS AND YOUNG WOMEN TO CONTINUE THEIR EDUCATION, RAISE THEIR SELF-ESTEEM, DEVELOP DECISION-MAKING AND LEADERSHIP SKILLS, RAISE AWARENESS ON GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE AND MOST IMPORTANTLY REDUCE THEIR SOCIAL ISOLATION AND BREAK BARRIERS OF SECTARIANISM. SINCE ITS INCEPTION 18 YEARS AGO, THE PROJECT HAS OPERATED IN OVER 50 SITES ACROSS EGYPT, AND EMPOWERED MORE THAN 13,000 GIRLS. IN THE PAST CYCLE THAT ENDED IN OCTOBER 2019, THE PROJECT OPERATED IN 16 SITES IN THREE GOVERNORATES, SUPPORTING THE CAPACITY BUILDING OF 64 CDA STAFF, AND INTRODUCING NEW INTERACTIVE LEARNING TECHNIQUES AND ACTIVE LEARNING METHODS AMONG THE 1600 PARTICIPATING GIRLS. SERVE TO LEARN - SERVE TO LEARN IS A DYNAMIC PROGRAM THAT STRENGTHENS THE TIES OF COPTIC DIASPORA VOLUNTEERS (SECOND AND THIRD GENERATION EGYPTIANS) WITH THEIR HOMELAND, EGYPT, THROUGH SERVING UNDERPRIVILEGED CHILDREN OVER A SPAN OF THREE WEEKS. THE PROGRAM STRIVES TO PROVIDE YOUTH WITH THE HANDS-ON EXPERIENCE AND ENABLE THEM NOT ONLY TO WITNESS THE CHALLENGES UNDERSERVED CHILDREN FACE, BUT ACTIVELY PARTICIPATE IN THE EFFORT TO IMPROVE THEIR LIVES BY CONTRIBUTING, ALBEIT SHORT TERM, TO THEIR EDUCATION. BY LIVING IN THEIR VILLAGES, TEACHING IN CLASSROOMS, VISITING THEIR HOMES, AND ENGAGING WITH THEIR COMMUNITY, THE VOLUNTEERS RECEIVE A MULTI-DIMENSIONAL VIEW OF A NOT ALONE CHILD. THE IMMERSIVE NATURE OF THE EXPERIENCE LETS VOLUNTEERS SEE A CHILD FROM MULTIPLE VANTAGES TO GIVE THEM A DEEPER AND MORE INSIGHTFUL UNDERSTANDING OF EACH CHILD BEYOND THE VENEER OF POVERTY. UPON THEIR RETURN, THEY ARE EQUIPPED TO ADVOCATE AS AMBASSADORS FOR THE CAUSE OF DISADVANTAGED CHILDREN IN EGYPT. SERVE TO LEARN VOLUNTEERS AND ALUMNI THEN BECOME THE DRIVING FORCE FOR FUTURE DEVELOPMENT OF THE COUNTRY.

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