The Zeitoun orphanage houses 70 children from 0-18 years of age.

It was founded in 1967. The board consists of 7 members who were highly enthusiastic about FACE's proposals for renovation and reorganization.

 

  1. ZEITOUN IN 2003

 

It was chosen by FACE because of its insalubrious premises, its lack of organization and structure, of monitoring, activities, equipment (beds, sheets, toys, diapers...), its lack of trained staff, inadequate hygiene, and above all by the alarming need of  the children for affection and individual attention.

 

 

            2. WHAT FACE HAS DONE

TRAINING

  • Created a clear staff hierarchy
  • Recruited and trained a "head mother"
  • Created awareness on the part of staff for the importance of physical and emotional contact
  • Established a programme of daily education
  • Created an area for providing treatment and psycho-motility, suitable for newborns
  • Established a case file for each child
  • Established rules for running the establishment and for basic hygiene

 

Clearly underpaid compared to the Egyptian average, the staff have been given a pay increase. New childcare workers have been recruited and are being trained..

 

BUILDING :  Renovation of the 5-storeyed building(ship):

  • General purification of the building in state of insalubrity
  • Sanitary basic equipment
  • Opening of the cramped rooms, the plate glass windows to allow an easier supervision by the carers
  • increase and basic equipment for the kitchen
  • replacement of the old and dangerous electric installation
  • arrangement of space of psychomotricity with the adequate equipment (solid, studied and adapted)
  • improvement of the maintenance of places
  • sending of furniture and equipment: beds, blankets, sheets, tables, chairs, high chairs, dishes...

 


Big renovations of the 5-storeyed building in 2004.

 

            3.  ZEITOUN TODAY:

 

How is it possible to portray in words and images the change in the children of this orphanage? Where before they hung back with blank or haunted expressions, or seemed frightened, as the changes have been taking place, more and more of them are beginning to smile again...Today they greet us with real enthusiasm and affection.

 

The children discover with delight their new living spaces. On every new bed, a cuddly toy waited for them.


 

Safaa, a FACE employee in Cairo, tells us:

"We gathered the children together this afternoon to explain that they would be moving into their new area. Great excitement! Next we quietly marched them upstairs and they waited in front of the door while Nermine switched the lights on. It was like opening the door to Ali Baba's cave. What an outburst of joy! Each one chose his or her bed, on which was a cuddly toy, a new towel, new sheets, and a blanket. They lay down on their beds clutching their toys. Then they went to see the shower room. What happiness! They washed their hands and brushed their teeth for the first time. Mina and Mona tested the lavatories. Some went to look for a toy car to put in the chest of drawers. Mona danced."

 

Having fundamentally transformed and managed this orphanage from 2003 to 2007, FACE transferred the running of this project to the Ministry of Social Solidarity.