FAQ
WHAT IS THE STIGMA WITH BEING AN ORPHAN IN EGYPT?
Being an orphan carries a stigma in Egypt. They are often seen as unworthy with no chance of success. In a society that heavily emphasizes the family unit, the inability to attain acceptance is a difficult burden to bear.
WHERE do you find your CHILDREN THAT LIVE IN your HOME?
Referrals from community leaders, local NGOs, Religious institutions and Orphanages who are unable to accept them
How do you choose your KIDS YOU ARE TAKING IN AND HOW MANY can you take?
After conducting research for years with various NGOs, mental health professionals and early childhood development specialists, we have come up with specific criteria for accepting children into our home. In summary, we will accept children who have lost one or both parents to: Death, Prison, Abandonment.
HOW MANY KIDS CAN THE HOME HOUSE?
At full capacity our home will house 100 children. Thirteen Families with 2-3 Mother Figures in each family.
Does IT FEEL LIKE AN INSTITUTION?
Divided into apartments, our home is nothing like an institution. Each apartment is a separate home within a home that includes 1 room for the Caregiver, 3 rooms that will house 3 children each, and a common area for them to share. Each apartment is a family home which is part of the larger home.
WILL YOU HAVE A SCHOOL ON SITE?
No, there we do not have a school on site. There are many rooms in our home for activities, athletics, and the arts. Athletics and the arts are an imperative aspect of achieving our mission.
UNTIL WHEN WILL YOU EDUCATE THE Children?
We will support our children's education through college as they are transitioned into our young adulthood program.
AFTER COLLEGE WHERE WILL THE young adults GO?
Each teenager creates a customized plan for themselves with Birdrock leaders. We guide them to transition into the working world. We are planning to have more independent living for them, but women living on their own in Egypt is not yet socially accepted. We will, of course, guide them in getting work or starting their own businesses. If they would like to stay in the home and work with us there, that would be welcomed.
WHAT ACTIVITIES and services do YOU HAVE FOR your Children?
We have an art room, music room, sports field, computer room, and library, to name just a few. Volunteers provide lessons in different academic and non-academic subjects and activities, both group and one on one. We encourage and guide our children to discover their talents and passions. We enroll them in extracurricular activities and sports outside of Birdrock Home for our children to become integrated into society. They also are taught to give back to their community regularly by visiting hospitals, elderly homes, and other orphanages.
THE SERVICES IN YOUR HOME CAN ACCOMMODATE MUCH MORE THAN 100 children, WHY IS THAT?
Our home was designed with future projects and expansion in mind. When we build our next home on site, we will be able to use all the services from our current home to serve both. Also, we are planning on not just using these services for the children living in our home, but for other children in Egypt who are in need.
What’s the difference between Littlest Lamb and Birdrock?
The Littlest Lamb is the organization that built “Birdrock Home” as its first endeavor. Our second endeavor is our OVC Development that work with other orphanage to raise the standard of care for OVC children around Egypt. The Littlest Lamb has set to expand its mission to empower young men and women through various other programs for at-risk and orphaned children.