Village of Hope: The Story of Annas
Annas’ life has been changed thanks to his time at Village of Hope.

Annas, a young Egyptian boy, came to one of HANDS’ partner organizations, the Village of Hope, at the age of three with various health conditions. He was diagnosed with a developmental disorder that affected his communication and coordination skills. He also had trouble with concentration, which made learning very challenging for him. In addition, Annas struggled to communicate effectively with those around him, which had a negative influence on his relationships with his classmates and family.

With the help of the Village of Hope, his family has learned to manage his condition, allowing Annas to work at grade level. In the past, he could not control his words and sounds, but he now communicates much better with his family and peers. Annas’ story shows that with the right support and education, special needs children can be highly functional.

The Village of Hope is a center for mentally challenged youth, which not only provides an education for children, but also advocates in their community for the rights and needs of this special group of people.

The school helps approximately 50 children each year in the Alexandria area. They provide care and attention to one of the most marginalized groups in Egypt; mentally challenged young people. Services such as a day care, vocational training, and various other activities allow these children to become active members of society. Such efforts are particularly important because, according to the World Health Organization, nearly 10% of Egyptians have some form of disability.

In addition to partnering with the Village of Hope, HANDS is also engaged with several other initiatives that help this marginalized group of people become highly active members of society. For example, we provide special IT and job skills training for people with hearing impairments, mentoring for disability rights advocates through our Professional Fellows Program and financial support for both the Village of Hope and Fairhaven School for children with disabilities.

We are grateful to HANDS donors who are supporting our efforts to improve the quality of life for people with disabilities in Egypt!