Thank You
Little Stars is now 10 years old

In this update we will concentrate on our work in Egypt as that is where our work started.  At first funds were so scarce that we were only able to make small donations to other groups that were working with children but then, as the charity’s support base grew, we were able to expand and open our own clinic where children with illnesses and disabilities could be treated completely free of charge by a Doctor and a Physiotherapist.  From there, with the help of the British Embassy in Cairo, we opened a dental surgery which was as successful as the other medical ventures.

When the clinic was fully established we were able to create a small nursery school for 4- 6 year old children teaching the basic skills of reading, writing and numeracy.  At first we were only able to accommodate 20 children in one room but when we moved to near-by premises with bigger and better facilities plus a garden, that number increased to 40 and then to 52.  Each child is given shoes and a full uniform plus 2 sets of underwear and a school bag containing all the necessary school books.  The nursery school was soon given full accreditation by the Egyptian Government so that each child is given a Certificate of Achievement.  All the services and clothing are provided free of any charge,  The garden toys were bought with a specific grant from another charity and are a delight to the children but more toys are needed.

In time we were also able to operate a family sponsorship scheme in which 60 families participated.  As part of this scheme, those families in the direst of poverty received food parcels every month and were given beds, fridges and cookers to improve the health of their children.  For the worst cases we were able to rebuild collapsing houses that were without water or sanitation.  At that time the exchange rate was low and widows with up to five children were expected to survive on a pension of £10 per month - that sum is now £5.  This is impossible in any society and our food parcels became vital as they contained all the basic necessities for keeping children healthy.  A training centre for women and girls followed to provide skills by which women could support their families. 

Sadly, the troubles following the Spring Revolution and the Military Coup led to us losing 75% of our funding and so some projects had to be suspended.  A draconian change in the law governing non-government organisation and a tightening of security meant that we were no longer able to reach all the villages and so the family sponsorship had be to suspended too but food parcels are still distributed to families who can visit the Little Stars centre whenever funds allow.

All staff in the Centre are dedicated and hard-working and most of them have been with us since the first project began.  Wage levels are set at local levels and, as unemployment is so high in Egypt and is made worse by rampant inflation, we have tried to maintain staff levels as best we can as each has a family to support.

All our supporters can be proud of what they have helped achieve and what Little Stars is doing on their behalf.  If the situation in Egypt improves and if funds ever become widely available again then we will restart the suspended projects and expand our work.

Special thanks are given to everyone who made donations to Little Stars over the years, to our Trustees, to Sweet Dreams and to our patrons Lord and Lady Carnarvon for their unwavering support.