August 2017 Persecution Magazine (2 of 4)

Impact Report
SUFFERING WIVES
AND CHILDREN
FUND BALANCE:
COMMUNITY
REBUILD
FUND BALANCE:
HOPE HOUSE
FUND BALANCE:
low medium high
low medium high
low medium high
2017 Q1 2017 Q1
2017 Q1
PROJECTS PROJECTS PROJECTS
Families that have been forced to flee
their homes because of persecution deal
with more than their fair share of physical
and emotional hurdles. One of the most
damaging, long-lasting effects of persecution
in a child’s life occurs when they
are forced to abandon their education.
As children escape the violence in their
hometowns, their education is brought to
a halt, limiting their future job opportunities
and continuing the cycle of poverty
and oppression.
In January 2017, ICC opened a school
in an internally displaced persons (IDP)
camp in Nigeria for those who have
been displaced due to attacks by Boko
Haram. In this school, students receive
an education based on a curriculum of
mathematics, science, and English. These
subjects teach the students essential skills
which will make them more marketable
as employees as they enter the workforce,
thus escaping the cycle of generational
persecution. With the help of generous
donors, we purchased and delivered textbooks
and the necessary materials for the
teachers and 28 children in the program.
Through this new school, thankfully,
these families are able to rest secure in
the fact that their children are obtaining
a quality education with long-lasting
impact.
PERSECU ION.org
INTERNATIONAL CHRISTIAN CONCERN
When ISIS attacked the predominantly
Christian town of Qeraqosh, Iraq, in
2014, thousands of Christianswere forced
to flee, leaving behind not only their
homes, but their livelihoods as well.
In response, ICC has helped start several
small businesses so that displaced
Christians families can begin to support
themselves again. One of these businesses
includes a copy shop for a man named
Samer and his family.
Samer, his wife, and their two teenage
children were among those who fled
Qeraqosh in the summer of 2014. After
bouncing around to several locations and
a year of living in Erbil, Samer was
still unable to find consistent work. In
response, we funded a microfinance project
so that he could open up a copy shop
outside of a local library. We worked
together with this family to purchase
the materials he needed to operate this
business, including a laminator, camera,
laptop, printer, photocopier, generator,
and batteries.
This copy shop will not only help
Samer support his family with day-to-day
expenses, but also allow him to send his
children to school. Small businesses of
this nature help these families get back on
their feet financially, and also allow them
to do so with dignity.
Following generations of discrimination
in Egypt, Christians have found themselves
in the lowest rung of society, often
socially abandoned and denied access to
quality jobs and education. In response to
the ongoing systemic persecution facing
Christians in Egypt, ICC opened its first
Hope House in late 2016.
Now, 92 Christian students are being
tutored in mathematics, English, and
Arabic so that they receive the supplemental
support they need to build a quality
education. Those who go through this
program will learn marketable skills so
that they are better equipped to end the
cycle of persecution in the workplace.
Furthermore, ICC is also in the process
of hiring computer teachers so that older
students may gain computer skills that are
crucial in the digital age. There are a total
of 14 classes offered to students at both
primary and secondary levels. We plan to
expand the program to reach even more
Christian students.
In addition to the tutoring assistance,
we are helping several of these families
financially by providing microfinance
loans and vocational training. This holistic
approach to healing the wounds of
persecution seeks to address the root
causes of persecution and end the cycle of
oppression in this community.
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