Egyptian 'Garbage City' Receives Christian Primary School
A persecution watchdog group will fund the building of a much-needed Christian primary school for children living among trash heaps outside of Cairo, Egypt.
A persecution watchdog group will fund the building of a much-needed Christian primary school for children living among trash heaps outside of Cairo, Egypt.
The Barnabas Fund, a U.K.-based organization with projects in 40 countries, pledged to build the two-story Pillar of Faith School – a name chosen by the Egyptian Christians to show how important faith is to them – in the “well-known” garbage city, the name of which cannot be disclosed to protect the Egyptian Christians. The school will contain eight classes for children ranging in age from 4 to 12 years with typical Egyptian class sizes of 50-60 children. In total, about 800 of the 1,200 Christian children without a school will be taught a day.
“Clearly, the needs the Christians living in [the garbage city] are many, and we anticipate that a number of these will certainly need to be addressed in the future,” Stephen Kopalchick, U.S. Director of Barnabas Fund said. “However, Barnabas Fund operates in a way that is responsive to the requests and needs of the local Christian community. We are building the ‘Pillar of Faith’ school because the local believers there feel that providing their children with a Christian education is the essential first step in helping their children to preserve their Christian identity and to begin the process of transformation within the community.”
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According to the Barnabas Fund, Egypt for centuries was a stronghold for Christianity, in particular the port of Alexandria which served as the center for Christian learning. But during the seventh century, Egyptian Christians began to experience discrimination, oppression and persecution after Muslim armies conquered the country. Many converted to Islam to escape persecution, but others remain faithful, allowing the Christian Church to exist today.
The CIA World Factbook estimates that Christians currently make up about six percent of Egypt or a population of 4.7 million people.
The persecution watchdog group reported that thousands of Christians live in “pitiful” conditions with no medical facilities and only one school in the entire city, leaving 1,200 Christian children without a school to attend.
“Here they are born, live, and die,” the Barnabas Fund wrote in a report.
In response to desperate needs of those living in the “garbage city,” the Barnabas Fund has adopted the community and seeks to bring transformation in the lives of the Christians living there.
Students will likely not be required to pay for their education while “running costs” such as school supplies, books and other fees may be paid for by the group.
The Pillar of Faith School is scheduled to begin construction as soon as adequate funds are received, with an estimate that the building project will begin early 2006.
“As you prepare to celebrate this Christmas season, please remember in your prayers the needs of the garbage city Christians in Cairo,” said Dr. Patrick Sookhdeo, Barnabas Fund International Director.
For more information or to donate to the Egyptian “garbage city” transformation visit: www.barnabasfund.org
