The recent Associated Press story about Mama Maggie and Stephen’s Children provides special insight into the educational challenges faced by all Egyptians – and especially the poor.

To give an idea of the challenge – the story cites a U.N. statistic: “an estimated $2.4 billion is spent every year on private tuition in Egypt.”

Why so much for private tuition? According to many Egyptians, public schools do not adequately prepare students, so they seek out private schools or tutors. Recently, Cairo has seen the establishment of several “parallel schools,” similar to the South Korean hagwon, that re-teach students the public curriculum in the evenings.

As one might imagine, families in the slums can little afford private education. This is why Stephen’s Children’s Farah Schools are so important. These schools provide a high quality private education at half the cost of most other private schools – and they do it with a Christ-centered focus for children of all backgrounds.

Breaking the cycle of poverty in Egypt’s slums is a monumental challenge, but with time, effort, and love, Stephen’s Children hopes to shine Christ’s light into these difficult places.