St Kyrel Trust - Helping the poor help themselves

Education is the most powerful weapon for any hard-working individual to change their future and their society. St Kyrel’s vision is to empower unprivileged Coptic students to transform their future by ensuring they have the opportunity for education.

MISSION

St Kyrel Trust believe that a better tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it today.
Our mission is to support deprived Coptic students in Egypt throughout their academic journey, knowing that having a chance to achieving a solid education, will transform their future for the better.

Education WILL make the difference. 

Education transforms lives.

In countries such as Egypt, education is a privilege, reserved for those who have the means to afford it. It is not a right, but a financial burden to millions of families.
Without the means, there is no education.

St Kyrel Trust is dedicated to bridging that ever-growing gap between impoverished families and the demands of educational opportunities. St Kyrel helps thousands of students across Egypt to access education, achieve their goals, and empower their transformation to a more successful adulthood.

We believe that everyone has a right to an education and your support will be essential in providing these students with the means to fulfil their aspirations.

Education transformes nations.

Education is the driving force for transformative change in every family. It has the power to break the poverty cycle, and it is the sustainable solution for a brighter future for these families. Your support will ensure that St Kyrel can continue to advocate for willing students and empower them to become future professionals.

We believe that every student whom we support will progressively make a real difference in his/her society and lead it to a brighter future. 

At St Kyrel, we will continue to work tirelessly to reach our ultimate goal; that any student who desires to progress in their education for a brighter future can, and will, have that chance.

Your contributions to St Kyrel Trust will directly sponsor a student, who without your continued support would find it near impossible to access this opportunity for education and flourish in society. 

OBJECTIVES

The main objectives of the trust is to supply poor Coptic youth in either their last year of high school or university in Egypt with their basic everyday financial necessities. 

Each of the students receives a monthly grant just enough to cover the following:

• Food
• Clothes
• Transport
• Books and Stationery
• Shelter
• Pocket Money

We also aim to build up mature independent personalities. The students who receive help become financially independent from their families. This alleviates part of the burden off the poor family. The student in their turn and in appreciation of the continuous support of the trust, do work hard and have proved worth helping

Whom do we serve.

We have a strict criterion for choosing the students that we help. The beneficiaries are not only poor but also related to the church in one way or another. We aim to reach Coptic students who are below the poverty line; those who simply cannot make it to university unless we help them.

Students Dignity and Privacy.

God created everyone is His own image. Therefore, we treat our students with dignity and respect.
We want to encourage the idea that they are not just poor Students, but rather participants in our program, and we need their collaboration to make their time in our program a success.

We do not just “give” money and make them feel less than the giver. We are helping them invest in themselves through education, which is the best investment we can help them achieve. Our moto reflects this ethos “Helping the poor help themselves” so that they attain adulthood as leaders in their communities and churches.

We treat our students with dignity and respect. We visit them to make them feel loved.
Volunteers are required to listen and engage with students during home visits so that they feel valued and are heard.

We grant them freedom of choice, and we do not force them to follow a certain path in their lives. 

Rather, we support and guide them throughout their studies, encourage them to think positively, weigh options and overcome obstacles. We believe our students are well worth it.

How we protect our student’s dignity and privacy:

1. Our photos never show students or their families in a demeaning or degrading light, but rather always as dignified, proud and by God's grace shows their triumphs.
2. To protect our student's privacy, any personal information that could accompany images that are publicly shared with our supporters, is changed or cut unless we have explicit permission to do otherwise.
3. Our supporters who want to sponsor students, are never given photographs to choose among.
4. We make sure that photos used in our presentations and materials are representative of the environments where our Students live.
5. We do not allow photography of anyone who refuses us permission to take his or her photograph.
6. When identifying information related to a photo that we share with the public, it is always done with the full cooperation and knowledge of the people portrayed.
7. St Kyrel never publicly shares information about the relationship between a Sponsor and Student without the informed consent of both parties.