[vc_row][vc_column][vc_custom_heading text=”” use_theme_fonts=”yes”][vc_single_image image=”123078″ img_size=”medium” add_caption=”yes” alignment=”center”][vc_column_text]03/09/2021 Washington D.C. (International Christian Concern) – As Egypt begins to open up after yet another round of closures and COVID-19 precautions, Hope House is one of the many organizations and entities calculating and assessing the impact on its service population. One year after the beginning of the pandemic, Hope House considers how children have been educationally disadvantaged, having lost many months of schooling.
During periods of openness in Egypt, public schools rely heavily on after-school programs or supplemental education like Hope House. Many children and their families even paid to pass their grade levels and continue on last fall. The negative impact on official avenues of education also forces children to spend more time at home. It implies that school is not important, as remote learning is not feasible in Hope House’s remote villages. All of this is exacerbated by the already disadvantaged education that Christians experience.
Remonda Romany is one of the children currently attending Hope House. Unlike many children her age, she continues to thrive while spending time at home. With limited options for activities, she turned to prayer and her Bible daily and strengthened her relationship with God. Remonda enjoys spending time with her family, including her younger sister, mother, grandparents, and three uncles that she lives with. Her father works in Cairo and sends money back home, though he has struggled with inconsistent income in the past year.[/vc_column_text][vc_custom_heading text=”“Before the COVID situation, the teachers were teaching the kids so much and `{`they were`}` learning so many lessons. I and her father and her grandparents want Remonda to continue in school.”” font_container=”tag:h5|text_align:left” use_theme_fonts=”yes” css=”.vc_custom_1615233339124{margin-top: 50px !important;margin-bottom: 60px !important;padding-right: 20px !important;padding-left: 20px !important;}”][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1615233312220{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]
Even though her father is not always present, Remonda’s family provides strong support. Her mother says, “Before the COVID situation, the teachers were teaching the kids so much and [they were] learning so many lessons. I and her father and her grandparents want Remonda to continue in school.” The support from her family to continue her education is not taken lightly in a region where child labor and household responsibilities are often the norm so that the family can survive.
During her time at the center, Remonda’s reading and writing abilities have grown immensely. She told ICC, “the Hope House Center classes are very useful for me. Now I can read and write English. I love the English language. I dream of being a doctor.” Remonda looks forward to the opening of Hope House again. In the meantime, she spends her time helping others saying, “I play with my friends and teach my sister how to read and write.”
ICC will be highlighting one child from our sponsorship program over the next several weeks, some of whom are still available to sponsor. To learn more about ICC’s Hope House or sponsor a child like Remonda, visit this page.
For interviews please contact Alison Garcia: press@persecution.org
[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
