The beginning...
In September 1997, 29 year old Caroline Kleinjan left the Netherlands and went to Egypt. In Cairo she worked for several years in a day-care centre for people with learning difficulties. In Egypt there is a shortage of these special centres. Through the input of Caroline, the centre is now an independent place, for which the responsibility has been transferred to the local people.
Caroline and her husband Youssef Fawzy wondered where there would be new possibilities to set up a new centre for children with learning difficulties. They found the answer in El-Fayoum, a big oasis around 100 km outside Cairo, a poor area in the countryside, in which about two million people live. There was no centre here but Youssef had contacts in this place through his work.
Caroline, Youssef and a few others started to set up a new centre here. For two years, they were busy with a lot of preparations, such as setting up a society, searching for housing and arranging training for the teachers. Finally the centre opened in November 2004.
The centre
In June 2004, The Beautiful Oasis bought a little old farm that consisted of a few stables and a building that looked as if it might have been a house. Around the buildings was a stone wall, so there was also an inner court. They have worked hard to convert this old farm into a nice centre. It has now three classrooms where the children have lessons. In the inner court there is a good playground where the children can play in a safe way. There is even a swing and a play-house in the playground...
Summary
The Beautiful Oasis wants to be significant for the local people in the neighbourhood of El-Fayoum.
• The first and most important aim is to give a contribution to the people with learning difficulties and their families.
• The Beautiful Oasis also wants to make a positive contribution to the infrastructure and the development of the village for the local people.
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