From 4 to 14 February 2025, Sister Wandamaria and Sister Mirna travelled to Egypt to continue their process of listening to and learning about the educational realities of the Congregation.
It was a unique opportunity to discover the many facets of our establishments, to exchange with the management boards, the pupils and the pastoral teams, as well as to meet the former pupils of our schools.
After taking part in the symposium organised by the Œuvre d’Orient, which brought together 400 educational actors from the Middle East to consider the theme ‘Transmitting in times of crisis’, at the theatre of the Lassallian school in Cairo, we took part in the meeting of the directors of our schools in Lebanon and Egypt. This meeting, organised by the Provincial Council, aimed to strengthen collaboration between the different establishments within the Province. We contributed to the work of reflection on the Educational Guidelines, led a training session on the ‘Educational style of Jeanne-Antide, between yesterday and today’ and discussed the modality of action of the International Thouret network and the mission of the International Bureau for Education (IBE).
At the end of these days of reflection, we began the visit to our two large establishments in Cairo and Alexandria. Unfortunately, we were unable to go to Nag Hamadé where we have a nursery school, a crèche and a care centre for disabled children. However, the interview with Sister Manale, the director, allowed us to discover the richness, the grandeur and the public utility of this school (the only Catholic school in the governorate).
In Cairo and Alexandria, we were welcomed by the students with songs, poems and words that give an idea of the atmosphere of fraternity and respect that reigns, despite the fact that there are Muslim, Orthodox Coptic and Catholic Coptic students. The meetings we held with the Board of Directors, with the academic managers, with the pastoral team and the teaching development units enabled us to understand the specific issues and major challenges, especially after a series of laws recently decreed by the Ministry of Education.
The commitment of the management teams to the academic success and well-being of the pupils was palpable. They emphasise inclusive education and the continuous training of teachers, and introduce numerous initiatives to guarantee a harmonious and stimulating school environment.
The meetings with the pupils were particularly inspiring; these passionate, curious, French-speaking and motivated young people have great ambitions. Almost all of them expressed their gratitude and attachment to their school. They would like to meet and exchange with pupils from other schools in the Thouret network.
Another highlight of the visit was the visit to the ‘Centre de l’amour’ in Alexandria, an inclusive school that welcomes 47 children suffering from various syndromes or disabilities. In addition to the human and technical performances, we noted the human and relational quality that characterises the educators and which reflects the educational intention of our founder ‘We educate with the heart’.
The brief meetings with former students from Alexandria and Cairo were particularly emotional. These former students spoke of the impact that the training they received at their institutions had on their professional and personal lives, highlighting the importance of the education they received and the values they cultivated throughout their school careers. Several of them repeated, ‘the school is my second family’.
In the land of the Pharaohs, the Charism of Charity has been very much in evidence for a hundred years. Our Sisters continue to courageously sow the seeds of tolerance, solidarity and charity so that strength and cohesion may be the hallmark of Jeanne Antide’s great educational family in Egypt.
