The project started in the wee hours of the
night- exactly four and a half years ago. The
small town of Diyaba'at, Egypt, where my
Arabic teacher lived, lacked the necessary
supplies and resources to adequately serve
the academic and educational needs of half of
the town's children. Our mission was to wipe
out the prevalent illiteracy in the town and
allow access to the primary subject matter to
students between the age of six and ten that
would allow them to continue their education in
larger city centers. From the onset, I designed
the Arabic, English, and Mathematics
curriculum used at the Institute, raised the
funds from both local and fundraising efforts
that allowed us to rent our first structure, and
taught at the Institute in my annual summer
trips to Egypt. Today, the 2,000 square foot
complex houses multiple classrooms, a
reception, and office space. We gained our
governmental non-for-profit status two years
ago, won the Project Read Award of
Excellence last year for our philanthropic
efforts, and currently employ twenty full time
teachers that serve 500 current enrollees, and
have served our eight hundred graduates from
the past three years.