The SunShine Team

In Luxor the Project is managed by The Egyptian Foundation Board , the Foundation recruit all Egyptian carers and staff from within Luxor. From time to time Volunteers are also recruited from the UK through a volunteer scheme.

In the UK the Project employs 2 members of staff. The administration is carried out by a board of 9 Trustees, professional volunteers and supporters, each offering their skills and voluntary time to the administration, thus keeping costs to a bare minimum to ensure full benefit of funds are directed to the care and the needs of the children.

Although the Sunshine Project UK and Sunshine Foundation Egypt are two separate legal entities , (each a registered charity in their own country )they do work very closely together to achieve the common objective of providing care for the children. This has worked very well . Naturally the Foundation in Luxor are responsible under the Social Affairs office in Egypt to provide good and appropriate care to the children , here in the UK we are equally responsible to ensure our objectives are met and that we monitor the use of your funding.

Overcoming Discrimination

Education and confidence are the keys to the Sunshine children being able to reach their potential. Educational stimulation starts from the day of arrival. . The baby play area has a high ratio of staff to children in order to stimulate the children into thinking and reacting.

At two and a half the children go to the Pre-School. Structured education begins here, mixed in equal amounts with fun and play.

The Pre-School was opened for two reasons: to give an early boost to the children's education and to create an environment for them to mix with children from Egyptian families. This is the start of the important work trying to integrate the Projects children with the local children.

At four and a half the children start going outside to school. They attend a local private language school where lessons are taught half in Arabic and half in English. At nine years old they start learning French and, at 10, German. At 16 years old the children can continue into further education by moving to Cairo or the UK (possible because of our UK charitable status). Their education will equip them to fight discrimination and confront ignorance.

Current Projects

The work on our new children’s Village in Egypt was completed in 2009.The the charity is expanding both in terms of the children we receive and the work undertaken in UK.As of June 2010 there are 92 children registered into the Project’s care in Luxor. The Village consists of 4 separate areas of accommodation , the children are separated into smaller family units so that they receive individual care and in keeping with Egyptian culture the boys are separated from the girls in the living areas. The projects ongoing at the moment are to provide extra funding for living and running costs , also to improve educational facilities and to equip the clinic and provide more facilities for the disabled children.

Community Work

Sunshine Project has excellent links with the Egyptian Authorities, who support our work. The links with the local Department of Social Affairs is beneficial to both bodies. By streamlining the procedures for taking children in, Sunshine is increasingly able to help people unable to help themselves or who cannot get local authority help.

Sunshine Project is accepted within the community . Although the Project's number one priority will always be the children in its care, it is hoped that Sunshine can help more children in need from within the community.