Project Report
| May 17, 2024
Breaking free from the Nightmare of Imprisonment
![Heba while working onher monthly budget.]()
Heba while working onher monthly budget.
Dear friends,
Did you know that 30,000 prisoners in Egypt are incarcerated because of unpaid debts, and the majority are women? (BBC, 2018). It sounds strange because the percentage of working women is only 17% compared to 83% of men (Ahram Online, 2023). Unfortunately, many men make their wives sign legal loan documents to escape financial commitments. Many women end up going to jail leaving behind the stigma of an imprisoned mother and financial problems.
This could have happened to Heba. Luckily, when she joined Coptic Orphans, she received the proper support that rescued her from ending up in jail because of her husband’s debts.
Heba’s husband was an alcohol and gambling addict. He involved her in signing agreements with creditors. He made her sell her jewelry and used all of the family’s income on gambling and drinking. After 11 years of marriage, Heba divorced him, but she was already in a lot of debt because of her ex-husband. She was threatened with going to jail if she didn’t pay back the money that she owed.
When Heba enrolled in Coptic Orphans’ programs for empowering women, she and her family were in crippling financial debt. Her income was not enough to cover their basic expenses, and she had no extra money to pay her debts. “I had daily nightmares of being imprisoned and being prevented from seeing my children. I was panicking with every knock on my door because I expected another creditor asking for their money and insulting me,” said Heba.
But Coptic Orphans didn’t leave her alone.
Through Baseeta which works toward financially empowering single mothers in Coptic Orphans’ programs, Heba found a ray of hope for her problems. She learned about wise spending, budgeting, and ideas for small projects that can help her make more money. She received a proper financial education and mentorship.
Within a 12-month period, Heba was able to set for herself and her family a balanced living-debt paying plan. Also, her Baseeta mentor helped her reach out to her creditors to make reasonable plans to pay back her debts in smaller installments.
Heba became more proactive. Next to her job at the church’s daycare, she announced to her contacts that she makes and customizes bed sheets and bed sets. “I never expected I would bring more money to my children because of making bed sheets. I thought prison was my definite destiny, but I broke free. Thank God for having you beside me. You gave me a second chance in life,” she said.
Heba is not the last story. She is just the beginning of what we can do together.
Because of your trust and support, together we can educate and rescue a lot more female-headed households like Heba’s.
Thank you
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