SOS Children in Egypt
Egypt lies on the north eastern coast of Africa. Most of its 72 million population lives in the overcrowded region of the Nile Delta and along the banks of the River Nile. Oil, natural gas and tourism are the main currency earners, but the explosive growth in population has been the cause of many social and economic problems, particularly in Upper Egypt where poverty is increasing.
The charity began working in Egypt in 1977, building its first SOS Children's Village in Cairo, established on a hilly site in the residential area of Heliopolis, on the north-eastern edge of the city. The village has 33 family houses and there is also a large nursery school, which is open to children from the local community as well as from the children's village. Alongside the village are two SOS Youth Homes, where adolescents live whilst undertaking vocational training or further education, under the guidance of a youth leader who helps them on the first steps to independence.
The SOS Children's Village Alexandria opened in 1980, close to the sea about 30km outside the city. It has 11 family houses and two youth houses and, like Cairo, a nursery which children from the local community also attend. Bungalows at the children's village provide summer holiday accommodation for children from the other SOS Children's Villages in Egypt.
The charity set up its third Egyptian village in 1984 in a suburb of Tanta, the capital of the province of Gharbia in the centre of the Nile Delta. SOS Children's Village Tanta has 12 family houses which are home to over 100 children. There is also a nursery and a youth house, and the children from the village attend the local schools.
In 1994, torrential rains in southern Egypt caused severe flooding leaving hundreds dead and over 15,000 people homeless. A state of emergency was declared in the region and SOS Children Villages set up an emergency relief programme at Asyut consisting of 42 temporary family houses as well as medical and social centres.
In mid-2003, a joint project with UNHCR was undertaken to care for children in Cairo who are refugees from war zones in other African countries. The aim is either to repatriate them after the conflict has been resolved or to resettle them elsewhere.
A Family Strengthening Programme was launched in 2004 working with more than 600 beneficiaries in the Cairo area. A second programme was launched in the Alexandria area in 2006.
Local Contacts
SOS Children in Egypt
Egyptian Society for SOS Children's Villages,
9 El Mohandessin El Askarein Street,
Off Tayaran St. Nasr City,
Cairo,
Egypt
Tel: +202/2 40 47 635
Fax: +202/2 40 47 635
email: soskdi@gov.eg
www.sosegypt.org.eg
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