Gemyana and her son in front of an icon at church. Gemyana is a young woman from a village in Upper Egypt. Her family didn’t have much money when she was growing up, so she couldn’t go to school and experience a normal, carefree childhood. However, Gemyana was determined to learn, so she asked a teacher in her village to teach her how to read and write. Gemyana was smart and had dreams bigger than... Source ..read more

Today’s guest post comes from Harvy Barsoom, a fellow who attended The 21 in July of 2022. We asked Harvy to write about his time in Egypt and share the parts of his experience that stood out the most to him. In today’s post, Harvy shares what he learned about the uniqueness of the Coptic faith during The 21. Going into The 21 trip, I did not have any expectations of the experience but I just went... Source ..read more

Philip smiles with boys in Egypt Today’s guest post comes from Philip Bishara, a fellow who attended The 21 in June of 2022. We asked Philip to write about his time in Egypt and share the parts of his experience that stood out the most to him. In today’s post, Philip shares what he learned about grace and patience from the children during The 21. I was jostled awake from my short nap as the van... Source ..read more

Simon takes a selfie with girls from his class. Today’s guest post comes from Simon Fahmy, a fellow who attended The 21 in June of 2022. We asked Maiden to write about her time in Egypt and share the parts of her experience that stood out the most to her. In today’s post, Simon shares his lesson on the importance and joy of gratitude revealed to him during The 21. I must preface by stating that... Source ..read more

A volunteer Rep shows a mother how to use a mock ATM. This Women’s History Month, please take the time to pray for our widowed mothers who are taking critical steps to secure their children’s futures. Nadia* is the 46-year-old widowed mother of five children in a small village in the deep South of Egypt. Nadia’s village has less than the bare minimum of public services. And... Source ..read more

Maiden plays with children in Egypt. Today’s guest post comes from Maiden Hanna, a fellow who attended The 21 in July of 2022. We asked Maiden to write about her time in Egypt and share the parts of her experience that stood out the most to her. In today’s post, Maiden shares the most important lesson revealed to her during The 21. “I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which... Source ..read more

Georgia stands in front of the 21 martyrs’ coffins in Al Our. Today’s guest post comes from Georgia Hanna, a fellow who attended The 21 in June of 2022. We asked Georgia to write about her time in Egypt and share the parts of her experience that stood out the most to her. In today’s post, Jasika shares what she learned from her visit to the church in Al Our dedicated to the 21 martyrs. Source ..read more

December 1, 2022, Washington D.C – Coptic Orphans recently formalized its partnership with Banque du Caire, paving the way for thousands of women to own and control their own bank accounts for the first time. The partnership allows Coptic Orphans to open over 8,000 bank accounts for its newest initiative, Baseeta. This initiative empowers single and widowed mothers by granting them financial... Source ..read more

Coptic Orphans is proud to announce the appointment of three new board members in Canada, Australia, and the United States. “These gentlemen bring undeniable talent to Coptic Orphans at an exciting time of growth for our organization,” said Nermien Riad, Executive Director of Coptic Orphans. “Their combined decades of experience will be invaluable as we continue to fine-tune our operation to... Source ..read more

Nermien Riad Speaks at the United Nations General Assembly Last week, Coptic Orphans was one of four civil society representatives selected to give a statement at the United Nations’ General Assembly high-level meeting on minority rights. I used this rare opportunity to highlight the remarkable story of the Copts. Despite decades of persecution, the Copts have endured and flourished. Source ..read more