Our community was blessed by a visit from Mama Maggie this Fall. She is the founder of Stephen’s Children in Egypt and has been a special friend to us since 2004. Over the past 25 years, Mama Maggie has devoted her life to serving vulnerable children and families living in the slums and squatter areas of Egypt. With a team of over 1,500 Christian men and women, they work daily to nurture, train and equip over 33,000 underprivileged children and youth across the country. In the notorious “garbage districts” of Cairo, families live without running water, electricity or secure toilets; abuse and addiction are common; children are too often cast aside or forgotten. In Upper Egypt, only half of the population is literate, the majority live on less than $1 per day, and religious intolerance has forced many to flee kidnappings, church vandalism, and murder.
In the midst of these struggles, home visitors bring messages of love and peace. Community Education Centers provide quality early childhood education, mother’s support groups, and healthcare services. And vocational training centers offer older youth trade skills, basic literacy and the love of Jesus Christ. But Mama Maggie also brought a gift to our community this year. At both Jubilee Leadership Academy and Vista Hermosa Elementary, she listened to students’ stories and met with staff. She was amazed to learn from our Trauma Care Team about ACEs (adverse childhood experiences) and how trauma informed care is transforming students’ interactions in the classrooms. She prayed with the students that they would continue to grow strong in their personal faith and love for one another.
(For more information, visit: http://www.stephenschildren.org/)