Former Refugees Give 'Hope' to Sudanese Fleeing War to Egypt
© Sputnik . Haisam Mahgoub
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Since 15 April, the war between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has killed nearly 3,000 people and displaced more than 2.2 million in the country, with another 645,000 fleeing across borders, mainly to Egypt, Chad, South Sudan and Ethiopia, according to the International Organization for Migration.
The ongoing armed conflict in Sudan is destroying everything in its path. But there are people who have dared to help those affected by this terrible catastrophe. Among them are volunteers who provide emergency aid, such as medical or psychological care. Others are providing long-term support.
This is what has been done by the Hope Center and School, which was founded in the Egyptian province of Giza on 6 October.
The name of the organization reflects what Sudanese refugees have lost in the war. Unlike emergency services, the center's staff tries to provide targeted assistance to people.
The director of the Hope Center, Nadir al-Sadiq Adam, a former Sudanese refugee living in Egypt, told Sputnik that when the center opened in 2018, it was an ordinary kindergarten. Then it grew into a fully fledged school with three levels of education: preparatory, primary and secondary.
As well as education, the center provides housing and a social package for refugees. It also creates favorable conditions for children: for example, it organizes sports activities and excursions.
"In addition to Sudanese refugees, Somali refugees also use the center. Furthermore, some Egyptians and their children turn to them for language courses, as the price is paltry," Adam added.
With the outbreak of hostilities in Sudan, Hope Center partnered with the October Leaders Union Emergency Assistance Center, founded by former Sudanese refugees in Egypt, to develop a program to provide shelter for displaced Sudanese families fleeing to the neighboring country.
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Former Refugees Give 'Hope' to Sudanese Fleeing War to Egypt
According to Adam, refugees are housed in temporary locations for two to three days until separate, permanent housing is found for them. Because of the large influx of refugees from Sudan, the center was forced to convert two school classrooms into housing for several families.
This process of resettling displaced people is not new to the Hope Center. The organization existed even before the conflict in Sudan, when natural disasters drove refugees from neighboring countries into Egypt.
"For a number of families who are in the most difficult situation, we provide five food baskets each month. The organization receives food from benefactors and donors. The status of the families is assessed by a special commission that operates within our center," the director of the Hope Center explained.
The school at the Hope Center has been accepting about 500 students a year since 2018. By the end of this academic year, about 350 pupils will graduate from the school, which uses Sudanese educational curricula in the learning process.
At present, the school administration is developing exams for all levels of pupil. In turn, the Sudanese Embassy in Egypt is preparing transfer exams to be used by the school.
Speaking about the education of Sudanese students, Adam summed up: "All the teachers at the Hope Center school are refugees. Women make up a large part of the teaching staff. This job not only guarantees them a good salary, but also allows them to give their children a decent education."
"I myself have experienced all the difficulties that refugees are going through. I lived in a war zone in Sudan and I know exactly what these refugees need. That's why I volunteered to teach at this school," said Salah Maula, an English teacher at the Hope Center school.
