On 11 October, 1979, St. Andrew's United Church congregation inaugurated a refugee center in its Guild Hall.  In its early days, "as many as 115 came for games, conversation and tea.  In the early years there was also a rudimentary effort in English language instruction," provided by ESL teachers from the congregation ("A history of St. Andrew's United Church of Cairo, 1899-1999). 

 

During the 1980s, with the influx of many refugees from the Horn of Africa, St. Andrew's expanded its refugee services to include education and advocacy. Most of the refugees have fled their homes in the Sudan and Horn of Africa due to war or famine, in order to seek safety and well-being in a nearby country.

 

Today St. Andrew's Refugee Services provides programming to refugees from Southern Sudan and Darfur, Somalia, Eritrea, Iraq and other nationals, refugees from 32 different countries. Services are delivered to refugees based on need and without discrimination based on gender, ethnicity, national origin, tribe, or religion. The refugees themselves are involved in the administration and staffing of the program whenever possible.

AEP: Adult Education Program

CEP: Children's Education Program

ARC: African Refugee Cooperative

RLAP: Resettlement Legal Aid Program

YLEAD: Youth Leadership, Education & Access to Development

RUPS: Refugees United for Peaceful Solutions

Best Start Preschool

4 Jan - CEP Winter Term begins

Become Involved!

Refugees and Displaced Persons from any country are welcome to participate in our programs. Volunteers from any nation, especially long-term volunteers, are also most welcome. For more details and application information, go to our "Volunteers" page.