Dear sponsor and friends
At the end of 2001, our gratitude goes towards all of you for your continuous support ans unselfish assistance. We also take this chance to make you aware of the latest news of SOS Children's Village Alexandria.

Since the beginning of this year we were able to take thirteen new little children, four girls, and nine boys in our care. They have receiver great attention and were heartily welcomed by all the people in the village as well as their SOS mothers. All of them are in good health and have got close to their new families.

On the other hand four of our youngsters have left the village and are accommodated in a flat in Alexandria - Victoria. This flat is supervised by two youth leaders and belongs to the SOS Youth Integration Project.

The young adult girls who live in the girls' house inside the village are ten now. Five of them are still working in factories near the village, while two have left their working places. Latter together with three others who have finished their education, are searching for suitable jobs now.

Thank God, the last school year has been a successful one for our school children. Most have passed their exams and got good marks. Few failed in some subjects, as their level at school was very weak, and they had to re-sit these exams at the end of August. They all succeeded and joined the next grade at their schools, except one girl. She failed and has now to repeat the school year. Last October we started again to provide supporting lessons to those children who are in need of in order to obtain good results during the first term as well as in the final exams.

We are very proud of two girls. One is Shaimaa Saber we already mentioned in our last report. She had got high marks in the final exams of the second grade secondary and studied again very hard to pass the third and final grade secondary with a very good result of 85%. This good result allowed her to join the Faculty of Commerce, English Section in Septemer. The other one is Shaimaa El Sayed who gained her Commercial Secondary School Diploma with high marks that enabled her to apply for a place at a Commercial Institute in Alexandria, Computer Department.

At the end of summer we celebrated the wedding of three of our girls. Two of them live in rented flats not far from the village and are happy in their new life. The third one Theresa was very lucky, as one of her German sponsors presented her with a very generous money gift. She could fulfill her dream and afford to buy her own flat and some furniture. Hanan and Samah make every effort to complete their own dowry to get married before the end of this year.

Two of the girls and one of the boys who married last year had already their first babies. Concerning our children's health, most of them were fine all the time. There was only one serious case to be treated, namely a little boy that suffers from an allergy in his chest. It often happened at night that he hardly could breath and we had to rush him to a nearby hospital. To avoid this we bought for him a small apparatus that can provide him with sufficient oxygen when he needs it. And three little children in the same house had to undergo operations to remove their tonsils. It was a hard time for their brothers and sisters, but especially for the mother. Thank God, all have recovered and are in good health now.

Main construction work has been finished for a new clinic as well as a post office inside the village, but the projects are not running yet. Last July we were able to open a small gym that is equipped with different tools for physical exercise. We began also to renovate an additional three family house. Hopefully this work will be finished at the end of this year.

Unfortunately there are also two sorrowful events to be mentioned. Adel who lives in the youth house had a very bad accident in July. He was cleaning a stain in his clothes with petrol, while his brother beside him was busy with a kitchen lighter. Adel's clothes caught fire accidentally. He was immediately transported to a hospital where the doctors diagnosed third degree burns at 32% of his body but fortunately his face was not affected. We were told that Adel needed several surgeries in order to transplant skin. He had to stay at the hospital for three and a half months. Of course it was a difficult and sad time for all his brothers and educators but they always tried to encourage him to overcome this hardship. Thank God he has recovered and returned home in good health.

The other and even worse event was the decease of one of our elder girls two months ago. She had married eight months ago and expected her first baby. At the beginning of six months pregnancy, she was afflicted by toxaemia of pregnancy. Her death was a big shock for all and we still are in deep mourning, but somehow life has to go on.

Finally we thank you once more for everything you do to give our children a happy home and wish you a Merry Christmas and Prosperous New Year.

With kind regards



Ruth Badawi
Sponsorship Coordinator
EGYPT