We would like to encourage you to send a special Giving Tuesday gift to bless Christians in Egypt. Your generosity can help them set up their own small businesses so they become self-sufficient and independent.
Ruth’s* builder husband was paralysed after a fall at work, leaving the family without an income. It is hard for Christians in Egypt to get jobs, due to discrimination. But with help from Barnabas Aid, Ruth can now support her husband and children.
Just £250 ($300; €275) provided Ruth with 372 pairs of shoes, sandals and slippers to sell. With this initial stock she has been able to get a small business going. Fifteen other Christian women, mainly widows, were helped in the same way.
These new livelihoods are part of a project to help poor and marginalised Christian women and young Christian men in rural areas of Egypt to support their families. Seventeen different kinds of small businesses are being established. As well as the shoe shops, there are small businesses providing water filters, photocopying services, handmade perfume, car batteries, steam car washes, hairdressing, three-wheeler delivery trucks, goats, tailoring and more.
Black Friday. Cyber Monday. Big business. It’s all had its time in the spotlight this weekend.
Now, let us remember small businesses, which have not had the same opportunity.
Giving Tuesday is the perfect opportunity to give back and remember our brothers and sisters who are less fortunate than us.
We would like to encourage you to send a special Giving Tuesday gift to bless Christians in Egypt. Your generosity can help them set up their own small businesses so they become self-sufficient and independent.
Ruth said that her shoe business is “a hope and a new beginning for us”.
Can you give hope and a new beginning to a Christian in Egypt this Giving Tuesday?
*Name changed for security reasons
Giving Tuesday (also known as #givingtuesday) is the perfect opportunity to remember Christians in need. The day usually follows two huge shopping days – Black Friday and Cyber Monday – and aims to inspire people to give to charitable causes during the season of giving.
Giving Tuesday 2023 takes place on November 29th.
