Sawiris Foundation Website

Care With Love
in Cairo Governorate

Time Frame : August 2001 - July 2002

Project Context:

A rising problem in Egypt is the shortage of home health care providers to care for people with special physical needs (e.g., elderly, sick, physically challenged and children with cancer) living at home or in specialized health care institutions.

"We teach our trainees that "Care With Love" is a philosophy rather than just a job, and that they can choose to love their jobs and become effective caring people in whatever they do." - Dr. Magda Iskander, Founder and Executive Director of Care With Love.

Objectives:

The project aims at training and employing 70 home health care providers to deliver quality care to people in their homes, in geriatric centers and other health care institutions. It also aims at creating an employment agency within Care with Love to place program graduates.

Partners:

The Coptic Evangelical Organization for Social Services (CEOSS), an NGO established to improve the livelihoods of poor and marginalized communities by working on projects related to unemployment, health, and education. It promotes social development through advocacy, vocational training, and micro-credit. CEOSS housed the Care With Love program, which was set up by Dr. Magda Iskander in 1996.

Al-Salam Hospital, Mohandiseen, a leading Cairo hospital with a capacity of 100 beds, and with most medical specializations available. It hosts the field training, and provides employment for Care With Love graduatues as home health care providers.

Center for Geriatric Services, Synod of the Nile hosts the on-the-job training.

Dar Hedaya Barakat for Elderly Poor provides field training for graduates

Project Status:

The project succeeded to develop both professional skills and spiritual depth, creating home health care providers that are efficient, sincere, responsible and caring. It included both practical and theoretical training at the Care With Love center, with on-the-job training in hospitals or geriatric centers. The program has surpassed its target, training 88 home health care providers all of whom found job opportunities as there is a growing demand for such qualified persons. In August 2003, Care With Love became an independent NGO registered at the Ministry of Social Affairs with its independent employment agency.