Coptic Orphans
Transforming generations through Egypt's fatherless
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
When most people think of "orphans," they think of children in orphanages who have no family members at all. In fact, many orphanages in Egypt are filled with children who have living family members, only because their widowed mothers cannot afford to feed them. Additionally, Egypt's widows are often severely restricted by traditions. Often they can't leave their house to work – even if their children are hungry. This is an injustice. We also work to prevent child labor and reduce early child marriage by helping children stay in school and reclaim the dignity that many of them lost when they lost their father and struggled in the face of poverty.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
The Not Alone Program
Our beloved sponsors and donors can tell you how Not Alone works. Over 550 Church-based community leaders, the “Reps,” serve as advocates and mentors to our children. The Reps come recommended by their own bishops and priests, and our staff in Egypt offers them regular training in how to support and protect the children. Day in and day out, year after year, each Rep builds a long-term relationship with the children they serve, connecting with each child through home visits, life-skills workshops, and community activities. They work to achieve Not Alone‘s goal of increasing each child’s academic achievement, building a well-rounded personality, and nurturing their sense of volunteerism as future leaders of Egyptian society. By connecting the children with these building blocks for a successful life, Not Alone helps prepare them to break the cycle of poverty.
Success is when the disadvantaged fatherless overcome financial obstacles and become able to attend school regularly, advance to the next academic year, become more confident in their social interactions, and choose to get involved in voluntary activities to help others whether at home, the local church, or the local community.
Valuable Girl Project
This educational mentoring program has empowered 13,000 at-risk girls and young women in Egypt by creating and providing role models, increasing self-esteem, leadership skills, creativity, and educational attainment.
B'edaya Microfinance Initiative
Our B' edaya (pronounced Beh-uh-day-uh) "With My Own Hands" microfinance initiative provides interest-free loans to female-heads of households, who are particularly disadvantaged in rural Egypt, to start income-generating projects. Upon the successful setup and operation of the project, each woman will repay the original loan which will then go to a revolving fund.
Where we work
External reviews

Photos
Videos
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Evaluation documents
Download evaluation reportsNumber of children served
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
The Not Alone Program
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Number of children who have access to education
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Context - describing the issue we work on
Direction of Success
Increasing
Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
Coptic Orphans aims to unlock the God-given potential of the most vulnerable children in Egypt through the power of education. Our holistic approach, through grassroots partners & volunteer networks, provides each child with access to quality education, nurtures their spirit of volunteerism, and develops their well-rounded character, so they can break the cycle of poverty. The goal of Valuable Girl Project is to provide young women with leadership, mentoring and study skills so they can succeed in school, change their family, their community, and Egypt. The goal of Baseeta Program is to open bank accounts that allow each mother to harness her own inner drive and abilities, and be transformed from a helpless, house-bound widow into a self-sufficient businesswoman who is a role model for her children, an asset to her community, and of worth to herself. Serve to Learn is 3-week volunteer program that tackles educational empowerment and global health in undeserved communities in Egypt.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
Through Not Alone, we empower the disadvantaged fatherless who are at high risk of dropping out of schools. It supports them financially and morally so they complete the highest form of education. It also supports them through one-to-one mentoring, home visits, regular workshops, and leisure trips to help build their self-confidence, and develop their social skills.
Through the Valuable Girl Project, along with skills-building, the project educates & advocates for young women as they navigate red tape in Egypt. The Valuable GIrl Project also takes the lead in working with the entire community, both Christian and Muslim. In doing so, we believe, Christians become the true salt of the Earth.
Through our Baseeta initiative, we continue providing microfinance loans and coaching for Egypt's brilliant, brave, entrepreneurial mothers, allowing them to start a business in anything from animal husbandry to selling groceries.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
Over 750 Church-based community leaders, the “Reps," serve as advocates and mentors to our children. The Reps come recommended by their own bishops and priests, & our staff in Egypt offers them regular training's in how to support and protect the children. Day in and day out, year after year, each Rep builds a long-term relationship with the children they serve, connecting with each child through home visits, life-skills workshops, and community activities. They work to achieve the Not Alone Program's goal of increasing each child's academic achievement, building a well-rounded personality, and nurturing their sense of volunteerism as future leaders of Egyptian society. By connecting the children with these building blocks for a successful life, Not Alone helps prepare them to break the cycle of poverty and empowers them.
We follow a transformational development approach that emphasizes the role of compassion and religion in achieving positive and sustainable change in human lives.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
Statistics show that results achieved by students enrolled in the Not Alone Program are substantially better than average national rates.
2021 highlights:
-136 students re-joined our programs in order to pursue higher education.
-4,600 medical insurance cards were issued in partnership with Royal Care, granting access to quality healthcare for 4,600 participants
-450 NAP participants graduated from universities equipped with advanced skills & academic degrees as they enter the workforce.
-2,500 local girls & young women enroll as Big and Little Sisters in the Valuable Girl Project educational mentorship program.
-We awarded the Future Leaders Scholarship to 36 exceptional Thanaweya Amma graduates who demonstrate advanced academic skills, leadership potential, & a service mindset.
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
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Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Coptic Orphans
Board of directorsas of 11/23/2022
Mr. Raouf Youssef
Global Development Associates, LLC
Term: 2009 -
Nermien Riad
Coptic Orphans
Raouf Youssef
Global Development Associates, LLC
Andrew Alexander
No Affiliation
Kamal Ibrahim
No Affiliation
Mona Azer
Fluence Energy
Amgad Bassili
No Affiliation
Hani Sharobim
No Affiliation
Mark Nakhla
No Affiliation
Ben Marcos
No Affiliation
Rhonda Farag
No Affiliation
Basem Morris
No Affiliation
Peter Abadir
Mark Morgan
Mariola Marzouk
Sherif Helmy
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? Yes
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
No data
Gender identity
No data
No data
Sexual orientation
No data
Disability
No data