[Diocese of Egypt] “We escaped to Egypt from a war-zone in the Nuba Mountains. The Sudanese government in Khartoum has been bombing our villages randomly for the past 4 years.” 

Mubarak Kori is one of the thousands of Moros from the Nuba Mountains who now live in Kilo4.5 and Tenth District, two areas east of Cairo. “We have sent our sons Rami and Kuku to the new St Raphael School because the best thing we can give them is a future; our past has been destroyed.”

Rami and Kuku are doing very well at school.  They are obviously bright kids but the St Raphael School is also offering them a good place for learning. It is a fully Sudanese school in Egypt, offering the 100 children a safe haven in the country where they suffer from much discrimination and violence in the streets.  They are often ridiculed in the streets and called “Abd”, the Arabic word for slave.

“The school helps my children very much, as they learn self-respect as Moros and as Christians”, says Ibtisam, Mubarak’s wife. “The teachers are professionals; the curriculum is good; the place offers our children a safe environment for developing their skills.”

For Ibtisam, an additional benefit of the school is that she can have a job and contribute to the family income.   She found herself a part-time job that she truly enjoys. She laughs: “So for my own self-esteem this school has also been a God-send.”

The St Raphael School uses the official Sudanese curriculum, though it has added sports and arts; it has also added lessons in Moro culture, something the Sudanese government tries to stamp out. 

So why then use the Sudanese curriculum anyway? Mubarak: “By doing the official Sudanese exams, our children can continue in secondary education in Egypt, and even in university here. But our hope is, of course, that one day we can return to Sudan.  If Rami and Kuku have a good Sudanese diploma, they can help rebuild our own land again.”