I’m writing to share good news about the fruits of Coptic Orphans’ work in education for the children.
In 2015, a record-breaking 69 hard-working Coptic Orphans youths were awarded scholarships. With your prayers, love, and encouragement, with the children’s bravery, and above all, by God’s grace, here are the 2015 achievements we aim to surpass as the kids head back to school soon:
- 611 Coptic Orphans youths marked educational milestones: 419 graduated from 12th grade, 41 graduated with an associate degree, and 151 graduated from university.
- 37 of our youths received Future Leaders (formerly iNPower) scholarships, our “in-house” grants aimed at allowing Coptic Orphans’ highest academic achievers to attend higher-tier institutions including Ain Shams, Cairo University, and Alexandria University.
- 8 young Coptic Orphans were selected to receive the acclaimed LOTUS scholarship (awarded by the U.S. government to only 50 students in all of Egypt each year).
- 11 Coptic Orphans won scholarships to government universities.
- 13 youths earned in-house scholarships to study English.
We are grateful to God for these successes, as we know that all achievements ultimately rest with Him. We also know that these results came about because of the children’s own courage, persistence, and brilliance.
How does Coptic Orphans work, with your support, to boost the children so that they can achieve so much in school?
Fr. Maximos Gadalla is the priest in charge of social work for the diocese of Matay. He was a Rep with Coptic Orphans 2001-2006.
As a Rep, he has particular insight into how we work to secure a quality education for the children. Coptic Orphans Reps — the Church-based servants chosen by their bishop — keep an eye on the kids and their studies, arrange their safe transport to school, as well as tutoring, tuition, and school supplies.
We recently asked Fr. Maximos: “If you knew someone who was thinking about sponsoring a fatherless Coptic child, what would you say?” Here’s how he replied:
Exam grades confirm Fr. Maximos’ words about the children attaining “high educational levels.” By God’s grace, in 2015, nearly 33% of Coptic Orphans youth who took the thanawiyyah amma scored 85% or higher!
I’d like to tell you about one of these youths, Kyrollos. He joined Coptic Orphans after his father, a laborer, died in 2003. Kyrollos lives in Minya, in one of Egypt’s poorest areas. Yet he studies constantly in the family’s tiny, old house of mud bricks.
With his Rep’s constant attention, his mother’s love, and his own determination, he scored 96% on the thanawiyyah amma!
Stories like those of Kyrollos are a source of inspiration, because we know that these are difficult times to be a Copt in Egypt. His Holiness has called for an end to the attacks that ravage Coptic communities, and inflation remains a threat to families who are struggling to put food on the table.
Yet, despite these tough times, the kids are not giving up — you can see it in their hard studying and academic excellence.
All of us in the Coptic Orphans family are grateful for their perseverance, and above all, to God!