Project poster (PDF)

Education

Egypt

Literacy classes

Being able to read and do basic arithmetic are necessary skills in today’s world. They help expand job opportunities beyond traditional roles in the house or field. They also help people negotiate many of life’s basic tasks and are important even in jobs that call for unskilled laborers. And literacy classes can open the door for students to read biblical texts on their own.

MCC supports BLESS, the Coptic (Egyptian) Orthodox development agency, and the literacy classes it provides. The classes are for students who can’t afford to go to school or who live in rural areas where schools have not yet been built. Some participants are as young as 9; others are grandmothers.

Younger students take the classes so they can enter middle school to complete their education, while others hope to learn enough to pass the required tests to get diplomas. Some women study so they can better help their children with homework, ideally leading to more opportunities for their sons and daughters. Many students want to qualify for better jobs.

If contributions to a project exceed the amount needed, MCC will use the donations to support similar projects.