Widowed Mothers Take Control of Their Lives

Widowed mothers face great odds in Egypt. They face a society that expects widows to consign themselves to a life of idle and hopeless dependency: bearing shame in public for being a widow, and bearing poverty in private with passivity.

But Not Alone program mothers are the sources of their children’s own confidence. The mothers of Not Alone program children courageously fight against all odds to give their children courage: starting their own businesses to support their children’s education, learning to read, and nurturing their children‘s God-given potential in the face of adversity and difficulty.

We recently received a few stories from Egypt that illustrate how these mothers are taking control of their lives for the sake of their families.

Self-Discovery at Workshops

This June, 144 mothers discovered that they can take control of their lives at simultaneous workshops in various areas of Egypt. They also discovered that if they encourage and support their children to acquire skills that they don’t have themselves, they will uplift their entire family. After the worskshops, the mothers saw themselves differently. They realized that they are not passive victims, and have the strength to accomplish much.

One mother said afterwards: “I never bought anything before. I simply don’t know how to buy things…” Of her self-discovery at the workshop, she added: “I am extremely happy and I cannot believe myself. To tell you frankly, I was dead and now I am alive.”

Training for Reps on Important Issues for Female-Headed Households

Meanwhile, over 50 of Coptic Orphans’ volunteer Reps, who work with orphaned families in their local communities, recently attended training and workshop sessions led by Dr. Amgad Khairy on how to build the capabilities of Not Alone mothers and empower them to overcome the challenges they face.

82 more Reps also met in other areas about the needs of female-headed households. They determined to discover more about each mother, draw out her abilities, and enable her to overcome her family’s circumstances. Reps also shared their practices with one another. Rep Seleem, for example, encourages all the mothers of the children in his area to attend literacy classes sponsored by the local church.

How One Mother Overcame Dependency with a Sewing Machine

Several months ago a sponsor helped one mother purchase a sewing machine. She has been working industriously with her new machine and has saved up money for her two children in a short time. Recently, she had to have surgery on her eyes. While the state insurance covered the cost of the surgery itself, she used income that she had earned through her sewing to cover the cost of medication and transportation for the surgery, even though both were rather expensive.

Her Rep asked her why she did not request the funds from Coptic Orphans. She responded that she has become more self-sufficient with the new freedom that the sewing machine gives her.

Another mother of a Not Alone program child shares a similar story. She became very skilled at making handicrafts and selling them with the encouragement of her Rep. Her Rep then taught her marketing skills to increase the profitability of her craft. She is now presenting her wares at church exhibits around her area.

The stories of these two women show how simple it is to enable widowed mothers in Egypt to take control of their lives. As mothers who desire a better future for their children, they have enough courage and determination to overcome any odds. They only need the resources to put their determination to work.

Donate Now and enable more widowed mothers in Egypt to take control of their lives.