An oasis in Cairo

Beyond a gate at a bustling intersection in Cairo, Egypt, is a church compound that, for Sudanese refugees there, is an oasis. It’s where they find community as well as opportunities for education and employment.

Life in Cairo for Sudanese refugees is difficult. They face high rents, gang violence and limited job opportunities. Fewer and fewer countries are admitting refugees from Sudan, so they get “stuck” in Cairo.

“They feel they can’t go forward and they can’t go backward,” said Richard Allhusen, program director for St. Andrew’s Refugee Ministry, an ELCA companion institution. “They feel they can’t emigrate and it’s not safe to go back.”