“We lost everything. We lost our husband, our land, our home and we are not welcomed in this country.” These are the words commonly heard from the Sudanese women who came to Egypt as refugees with their children.
The Hope for Mena team has been reaching out to this people by visiting their homes. Team members have been providing the refugees with supplies and clothing to help ease the difficult life that they are already facing.
The Sudanese refugees can often be found in the poorest suburbs of Cairo, living in rugged looking flats with only the most basic amenities. They could not afford the rent to stay in those flats for long term and they struggled to find jobs to provide a steady source of income to meet their needs.
The situation is even more dire for women who lost their husbands in the Sudanese war and could not work due to illness or having to stay at home to look after the family.
Most of these refugee families have many children at home and the Center of Hope provides education to some of these children with the hope that they can gain the necessary life skills to secure a better job and provide for their family. The Center is run by teachers and volunteers who are dedicated to help these children gain a better life through education.
The task to help these refugees seems daunting but the Hope for Mena teams have been taking small steps to help transform some of the lives of these refugees. Contribution and donations from generous donors have helped meet the urgent needs of some of the refugees but there is a lot more that can be done.
Please pray that:
- God will heal these refugees of the emotional trauma experienced as they escape the war back in their home country;
- They will be able to settle in this new country and adapt to the local culture quickly;
- For provision in terms of food, clothing, supplies for daily living and money to cover the costs of rental and other expenses;
- The children will have the opportunity to attend school and receive education and gain the necessary life skills;
- The refugees will experience peace in their new life and the local church community will be mobilised to help them get through the difficult circumstances.
- The refugees will find hope and receive love from the local community.
By Nathan Cheah, Australia