[vc_row][vc_column][vc_custom_heading text=”” use_theme_fonts=”yes”][vc_single_image image=”126618″ img_size=”medium” add_caption=”yes” alignment=”center”][vc_column_text]08/31/2021 Washington D.C. (International Christian Concern) – Just two months ago, Keroles Samy joined International Christian Concern’s child sponsorship program with Hope House in Egypt. While Keroles is beginning to adjust to the programming at Hope House, his family life continues on as it did before.
Many of the men in Keroles’ family work in trade jobs. His uncle runs a training school for tailoring and his father works as a carpenter. If the center is open, Keroles attends his classes. But if not, he typically goes to visit his uncle and continue to learn his trade. When asked what he wants to be when he grows up, Keroles said “I want to be tailor, but for the educational path, maybe I want to be an engineer.”
This dual response to what his future might look like underscores the problem that many Christian boys in Egypt face. Generational and systemic persecution discriminates against Christians, leaving them with few opportunities for development. Though schools do not typically disqualify Christians directly, their poor status often leaves them without the confidence and funding to pursue their education, pushed into whatever work they can find at a younger age in order to provide for the family unit. When asked about their wishes for their son, Keroles’ father said, “I wish he could be an engineer like he told you.”[/vc_column_text][vc_custom_heading text=”“I want to be tailor, but for the educational path, maybe I want to be an engineer.”” font_container=”tag:h5|text_align:left” use_theme_fonts=”yes” css=”.vc_custom_1630320294525{margin-top: 50px !important;margin-bottom: 60px !important;padding-right: 20px !important;padding-left: 20px !important;}”][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1630320277936{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]
Keroles, though only 9 years old, already sees this disparity and is unsure if he will be in the small percent that moves beyond day laborer positions and local trade jobs. It is the goal of Hope House to combat this mindset and teach children how to recover from this abusive mentality that seeks to keep them oppressed. Because Christians are often not directly excluded by name, the government can often be viewed as managing the issues, like technically leaving higher education open to Christians, but rarely engaging in the root causes, like financial opportunities and access.
Keroles’ father said, “I always hear the center teaches children better than the school. My son only entered the center two months ago.” In that short time, Keroles has already expanded his educational and spiritual knowledge. He told ICC, Keroles, “I learned a verse in church, which is ‘And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.’ I learned the hymns and the stories, but I love the hymns that we hear every day through the loudspeakers. I want to learn to read and write because I went to the center a short time ago.”
Would you consider partnering with ICC to help fight the generational persecution that Christians in Egypt face? To learn more about ICC’s Hope House or provide a financial gift, visit this page. To inquire about sponsoring a child, contact ICC at icc@persecution.org.
For interviews, please contact: press@persecution.org
[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
