Despite the ever-growing numbers, orphans continue to constitute one of Egypt’s largest, most marginalized communities. According to UNICEF’s latest statistics released in 2009, orphans in Egypt are estimated at 1.7 million. Adding salt to the wound, many orphans, due to the orphanages’ poor conditions, choose to live on the streets instead, suffering a life of violence, drugs and abuse. To improve the quality of care provided within Egypt’s orphanages, Wataneya Society for the Development of Orphanages created the first skills-based accredited vocational qualification for childcare in the Middle East. Since its establishment in 2008, Wataneya Society has set out to reform institutional homes for children without parental care in Egypt. Due to the country’s staggering increase in orphans, as well as the dramatic number of street children, Wataneya has been striving to create a stable and supportive space for all orphans. In February 2013, five years after its launch, Wataneya initiated its caregiver training program after being approved by the United Kingdom’s largest awarding organization, Edexcel. “These children are the future of Egypt, and their care and education can positively influence the entire Egyptian society,” explains Assy Girah, Wataneya’s quality…
