By Rania Lashin
It was Wednesday, September 8, 2021- The seven of us meet for the first time, men and women, bright and early (read 9 am for Cairenes), at a coffee shop in New Cairo. We were a mix of local Egyptians and visiting Egyptian-Americans. We had never met before, and in fact, only one of us had ever met Dian, the founder of Give LIght, in person. What brought us all together was one thing and one thing alone- we wanted to be a part of the blessed work with the orphans in Cairo. As we sat there for nearly two hours, we discussed ourselves, our families, our careers, and most importantly how we wanted to be a part of Give Light, Cairo. It was such a relaxed and blessed meeting. I immediately had a very good feeling about this group and our meeting. The baraka was almost palpable.
At around 10:45 am, we set out for the visit to the orphanage which was only about 10 minutes away from the coffee shop. There, we were graciously received by the director, Ms. Walaa and her team. We were there primarily to meet the 90 disabled orphans housed in the facility, to observe the facilities, and to meet the team who cared for the children who vary in both age and degree of their disability.
The building was large, clean, and obviously cared for. We walked from floor to floor and from wing to wing. It was there that we got to see their beautifully lit up faces. As our team walked into the various rooms we fist-bumped, shook hands, and chatted with many children. Some of the children were very shy and withdrawn while others were very eager to meet and greet us. One of our volunteers was a seasoned Origami folder/maker and began to make the children various birds which brought them much joy. They immediately began to gather around him. It was so humbling to see how such a small gesture (our visit) and such a simple gift (the Origami) brought them such joy. Seeing these pure hearts really makes one reflect on the endless blessing we take for granted in our day-to-day lives. May God bless them all and those who are a part of their care.
Interested in getting involved? It takes only $80 USD per month (about 1300 Egyptian LE) to fully sponsor an orphan. From what our team observed, the children are well taken care of. Thus far, we have 20 of the 90 orphans sponsored. If you are interested in sponsoring an orphan and visit them in the future, please Click Here to show your support.
