“It all began after a single trip to Egypt, which helped create Coptic Orphans. Imagine if every single Egyptian living abroad came to Egypt and was touched the way I was touched?” Nermien Riad, founder of Coptic Orphans, tells Egyptian Streets. If there was ever a voice in the world of philanthropy and development throbbing with compassion, devotion to God, justice and love – all at the same time, and all with the same vigor – it was Nermien Riad’s Coptic Orphans, an international Christian development organization that aims to improve the lives of vulnerable children in Egypt through education. It was granted the United Nations Consultative Status, which is the highest status granted by the UN to non-governmental organizations, allowing Coptic Orphans to participate in the United Nations’ framework. In its statement on the NGO, the United Nations highlighted that “diasporic communities bridge the gap between local and global markets, incentivizing pathways for entrepreneurship and transforming the investment climate in home countries.” On top of serving as a bridge between local and diasporic populations, what also distinguishes Coptic Orphans’ work is that it operates as an organ rather than…
Connecting Hearts: How Coptic Orphans Redefines the Role of the Egyptian Diaspora
April 23, 2022
