October 2008
Ramadan in Egypt is a festive time, when families gather to share the daily Iftar and there is much socializing. Because the day is spent fasting, many people like to buy delicacies and treats to make up for the deprivation. But for many, the rising cost of even basic foodstuffs in Egypt means that Ramadan will be tough in more ways than one.
This is where your donations and support have helped us make a difference. We were able to provide several additional food parcels for distribution at the start of Ramadan. These parcels contain essential foodstuffs like rice, oil, tea, lentils, fuul beans and either a chicken or a kilogram of meat. The families who receive the food parcels are widowed women who are trying to raise their children single-handedly. Very often, these women have no income and are existing on next to nothing.
One project we are continuing to support is the Bakery & Kitchen which is run and managed under the auspices of Madame Noussa of Nour al Islam charity. Before the kitchen was opened, Mme Noussa would supply the ingredients for women to make falafel, pastries etc at home and she would then sell them on and give the profit to the women. The kitchen means the women now have a place of work and a proper income; the kitchen now supplies its goods to supermarkets in Luxor.
Currently being explored is the possibility of a small nursery class nearby for the children of the women who work in the kitchen. At the moment, the mothers have to rely on relatives to take care of their children when they go to work; with the nursery nearby they will be able to check on their children at regular intervals and know they are being looked after in a safe, fun, educational environment.
Thank you to all of our supporters who buy online via EasyFundraising. Every time you shop online via Easy Fundraising, Luxor4Care will receive a donation of up to 15% from the retailer, at no extra cost to you. Over 400 stores are listed, including Boots, Tesco, Marks & Spencer, Amazon and Debenhams to name but a few. This is a free service and you can join up by visiting http://www.easyfundraising.org.uk/luxor4care and registering. Every penny you raise will help us to help the children of Luxor.
Finally, we would like to offer huge thanks to Tim Cooper who has generously offered to donate a share of the sales from his forthcoming book, ‘Leaving Thebes’ to Luxor4Care.
An informative and entertaining account of Tim’s recent travels in Luxor, the book already has a huge pre-publication orders list. Tim’s book website can be seen here: http://www.cooperbooks.co.uk
