Spend your summer in Egypt!

Marhaba: Volunteers in the Middle East is announcing its 2009 volunteer opportunities. Marhaba offers service-learning programs for college students and recent graduates who want to go beyond a study-abroad experience and truly engage with a foreign culture.

Volunteers in Program 1 will work with St. Andrew's Church to serve the refugee population in Cairo. St. Andrew's provides educational and vocational training for refugees from primarily African countries who had fled their homes due to war or other disaster or who have a well-founded fear of returning due to persecution or loss of rights. St. Andrew's refugee programs are entirely secular and the population served is both Christian and Muslim. Volunteers will assist with programs for children and teens. They will tutor students in preparation for end-of-year exams, serve as teaching assistants, lead some classes in pairs, and/or design a short summer program including trips and fun activities.

Volunteers in Program 2 will teach conversational English classes at Resala, a large development organization led by Egyptian youth. Resala offers a range of programs, including Arabic literacy classes, food and clothing distribution, courses for the blind, and orphanages for street children. Marhaba volunteers will teach young Egyptian adults who volunteer at the centers. Volunteers will work in pairs at different branches of the organization throughout Cairo.

In addition to volunteering, there are several other components of the Marhaba program. Volunteers from both programs will live together and jointly participate in orientation, Arabic classes, seminars, cultural activities, group trips, and a final retreat. Each program will also meet individually for weekly group dinners.

For more information and application details, please see our website at www.gomarhaba.org or email info@gomarhaba.org. Applications due March 1st.

Program dates are June 20 - July 30. Scholarships are available.