Affordable health and education in greater Cairo Five Socio-Medical Centres  serve the most vulnerable communities of greater Cairo with affordable nurseries, clinics, services for persons with disability, literacy and empowerment of illiterate adults and professional vocational training for women. Caritas makes great efforts to offer these services at low cost to the most disadvantaged, regardless

A new life for leprosy patients through treatment and rehabilitation Egypt’s view of leprosy, as in many countries of the world, is that of a secret disease that people do not dare to integrate in social life. This is mainly due to ignorance about the actual disease and about the psychological effects on those who

HHelping those who suffer from psychological illnesses, often rejected by society Psychological health is a stigma in Egyptian society. People are encouraged to hide illnesses related to it. We do not know how to deal with people who possess psychological disorders; instead, they are isolated and marginalized. This does not help the community or the

AIDS Intervention Unit reduces stigma and discrimination against people living with HIV The number of people with HIV/AIDS in Egypt remains low. However, all evidence points towards an escalating trend of the epidemic. All potential factors that can fuel the epidemic are present, especially among Most At Risk Persons (MARPs). The dominant stigma and discrimination

Breaking the stigma of mental illness Many people in Egypt suffer from severe psychological problems. They deal with different levels of tension and pressure on a daily basis, no matter their social status. Causes may include the financial and economic situation and the unstable political situation, which reflect directly on the community. This affects Egyptians,

Street children re-integrate with their families to fully participate in society From the mid 90’s, street children have become a tangible phenomenon in all major cities in Egypt, and their number is still rising. Estimates range from 90,000 to 2 million street children, depending on the definition. Children living in the streets face a lot of problems

Caritas Alexandria supports early childhood development through the projects “Strong Family Healthy Children” and “Psychosocial Care for Refugee Children and Youth”. Below we describe the second project. Counselling child victims of war trauma and stressed parents Young children are particularly vulnerable to psychological trauma. Displacement due to armed conflict and persecution puts them under enormous psychological

Boys and girls learn to recognize and address unwanted intimacy Sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) campaigns teach teenagers in schools and scouts to face sexual harassment and speak out for their rights. Sexual harassment by teenage boys is a common phenomenon in Egypt. Due to daily harassment incidents, girls are having a tough time in mixed schools

Counselling, training and cash support to vulnerable Syrian refugees Caritas enhances access to basic needs and improves the socio-economic well-being of refugees on the Mediterranean coast. Currently, over 200,000 refugees and asylum-seekers are registered with UNHCR Egypt. Over half are from Syria, and we assist them in 8 governorates along Egypt’s north coast.  Refugees in the

Fighting the bad tradition of cutting the genitals of young girls to control their sexuality  Unfortunately, Egypt is in the top three of countries where Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), the circumcision of young girls, is practiced. Roughly 92 percent of Egyptian adult women have undergone FGM, according to the 2014 Egypt Demographic and Health Survey