Programs

Marhaba™ is pleased to announce that volunteers will continue to work with our partner organizations from 2008, Resala and St. Andrews’ Church. Volunteers will spend approximately 15 hours per week at their volunteer site and preparing lesson plans. Both sites involve significant amounts of teaching as well as other activities.

Program 1

Program 1 will work with St. Andrew’s Church to serve the refugee population in Cairo. St. Andrew’sprovides educational and vocational training for refugees from primarily African countries who had fled their homes due to war or other disaster or who have a well-founded fear of returning due to persecution or loss of rights. St. Andrew’s refugee programs are entirely secular and the population served is both Christian and Muslim. Volunteers will assist with programs for children and teens. They will tutor students in preparation for end-of-year exams, serve as teaching assistants, lead some classes in pairs, and/or design a short summer program including trips and fun activities. More information about St. Andrew’s can be found on their website.

Volunteers in Program 1 will ideally have a background working with children or teenagers and some special interest or talent such as singing, visual arts, or dance, that they can share with the students. English is the primary language at St. Andrews and previous Arabic knowledge is not necessary.

Program 2

Volunteers in Program 2 will teach conversational English classes at Resala, a large development organization led by Egyptian youth. Resala offers a range of programs, including Arabic literacy classes, food and clothing distribution, courses for the blind, and orphanages for street children. Marhaba volunteers will teach young Egyptian adults who volunteer at the centers. Volunteers will work in pairs at different branches of the organization throughout Cairo. More information about Resala can be found at their website. (Please note that Resala’s website is currently available in Arabic only.)

Volunteers in Program 2 will ideally have a background in teaching and Arabic language. Resala operates in Arabic and therefore is somewhat more challenging for volunteers with no Arabic exposure.

Additional Programming

In addition to volunteering, there are several other components of the Marhaba program. Volunteers from both programs will live together and jointly participate in orientation, Arabic classes, seminars, cultural activities, group trips, and a final retreat. Each program will also meet individually for weekly group dinners.

Orientation: Volunteers will participate in a one-week orientation program that will include intensive Arabic instruction, cultural events, visits to the partner organizations, and group reflection.

Arabic Classes: Volunteers will study Egyptian colloquial Arabic with private tutors who will tailor the class to their level. Volunteers will be divided into three classes: those with no Arabic, those with basic knowledge of Modern Standard Arabic (MSA), and those with advanced MSA and/or some knowledge of the Egyptian dialect. Program staff will help volunteers to arrange more intense Arabic study if they wish to take more classes at their own expense.

Seminars: Volunteers will periodically have the opportunity to meet with leaders in academia, journalism, or diplomacy in a small group.

Cultural Activities: Staff will coordinate activities throughout the summer. Sites could include the Egyptian museum, Coptic Cairo, concerts, visits to art galleries, or other venues based on volunteer interest.

Group Trips: Marhaba will arrange trips to the pyramids at Giza and Saqqara and a weekend trip to Alexandria.

Final Retreat: The last few days of the program are reserved for reflection and group activities, which will take place at a desert site outside of Cairo.