Micah Project:
Prison Ministry at Kanater Prison, Cairo
This Micah Project is delivered under the auspices of the Episcopal / Anglican Diocese of Egypt.
Kanater Prison is located in the outskirts of Cairo. The prison is divided into three sections: 1. Females 2. Male Egyptians and 3. Male Foreigners. There are more than two hundred expatriates in the third section of the prison, immigration being the primary reason for most of the arrests. The prison authorities provide less than half of the inmates needs, and most of the prisoners have to rely on families to support them for food, clothing and even bedding. Therefore, with no local families to support them, the church ministry focuses on foreigners, and the church becomes their ‘local family’ responding to both their material and spiritual needs.
For more than sixteen years, members of the Diocese of Egypt have travelled once a week to visit prisoners and meet with them individually. They provide friendship and a listening ear, helping to relieve the hopelessness that weighs heavily upon the shoulders of imprisoned expatriates and sharing their burdens of life so they’re not carried alone. The visitors also support the group in the prison who organise among themselves weekly church services and Bible studies.
As well as spiritual needs the Diocesan team help to meet material needs through providing basic food supplies, medicine, clothes and blankets. There are two pastors involved in the ministry, Reverend Yeshua and Reverend Samuel, both from Egypt. They provide pastoral support, share the gospel and pray with prisoners. At present over 200 prisoners receive pastoral support and have the opportunity to hear the gospel.
One of the ministers shares the importance of the weekly work: “Apart from providing some needs of the inmates and the opportunity for them to meet someone from outside, the fellowship at the visits is a blessing for both the inmates and the visitors; as well as setting a real example for the One Church where brothers and sisters in Christ meet together.”
One of the prisoners shares their story: “I got myself into trouble eight years ago and was sent into prison. While in the prison I discovered that God loves me so much. I surrendered myself to Him and joined His family – the church. Since then, my life has changed for better. God has transformed me from darkness to His glorious light, and has given me new desires and hopes. I am now living for Him, using the talents and resources He has given me to serve Him, through my participation in church programs and helping those who are in need. I was lost but Jesus found me.”
This is a practical project, but with an evangelistic heart; to share Christ in word and deed to a group of needy people often left on the edge of society.
Micah Target for 2017:
To raise £1000.00 towards the blankets, food, medicine and literature taken into the prison on the weekly visit. This covers 2 months (1/6th) of the total ministry costs, and means that currently Micah68 is the largest single donor to the work.
Will you and your friends help to raise money towards this very practical and spiritual target? Click below for fundraising ideas.
Accumulator: £0.00. In 2016 our £1000 target reached, and now transferred via our U.K. based EDA In November 2016. This confirmed as received on 5/12/16 in Cairo. Brilliant news, and all raised through some wonderful individual gifts. Thanks to everyone who contributed. This is now the fifth year of giving to this needy project.
Micah Project Advocate:
Travelling with Ian to Egypt will give you an opportunity to be challenged by issues around poverty, exclusion, and the plight of refugees and prisoners as well as travelling on the Nile and maybe even see a pyramid. You come back with the task of spreading the word about this important work – and helping achieve a higher target for the next year!
