Myriam is the youngest child in her family. Her five brothers went to school to complete their studies, but the three girls, after a few classes, left school. For this reason Myriam’s parents, when it was her turn, the ninth and last child, decided that it was not worth the trouble of enrolling her. But she insisted and insisted, until, at age nine, her parents agree to enroll her. All she wanted was to learn to read and write.

At nine years old she was too late to enroll in the government system, so her family went to AUEED, an Egyptian NGO known and appreciated for their parallel accelerated education courses. Myriam soon achieved her goal, but decided to continue her studies until some years later, when she managed to enroll in undergraduate marketing. Myriam currently has just received her degree, is considering various career opportunities, and has become an ambassador for AUEED projects for the education of girls who remain outside the Egyptian educational system.

These projects include several jointly funded by the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECI) and the FPSC, such as the “Girls of Valor”, a project for the promotion of the right to education for most vulnerable girls in the governorates of Assiut and Sohag in Upper Egypt.

Assiut is a thriving city of Upper Egypt, situated on the banks of the Nile between Luxor and Minya, some 350 km from Cairo. In the villages surrounding the capital of Upper Egypt, AUEED manages several schools, three of which have been developed by this program: Azayzah, Kom Abu Hagar and Deir Al Gandler.

The program brings together 120 girls who are at least 16 years old, with 120 primary school students especially vulnerable to poverty, poor academic performance or familial problems. Each of the “sisters” takes charge of a “little sister,” helping her in all possible fields: studies with her, passed through games and activities of basic hygiene education, teaches her to treat her colleagues and make friends in order to ensure continuity in the educational system and in the long term, and become a conscious woman able to exercise all her rights.

AUEED also provides regular meals to the “younger sisters”, as they are not guaranteed to eat at home every day, and if they do, they may not always have the foods that provide the energy needed for proper growth and health. For older students, additional training and support in their educational work is also provided.

This project, with the collaboration AUEED, the FPSC and AECID, is a direct continuation of the Convention for the Improvement of Education in the Middle East carried out between 2006 and 2010, which had a very positive impact on the villages of Upper Egypt.