From the banks of the Lee to the shores of the Nile

They say the distance between Cork and Menouf (Egypt) is about 4,000 kilometers, but after Oriel Hosford’s first day at El Manarah school, it feels like she’s stepped into an entirely different world. Here are some of her initial reflections:

Day 1: Hello from Menouf!

Greetings from the El Manarah special needs school in Egypt! I’ve officially kicked off my 10 days in country , and my heart is already full. I made sure to check with the team first, and they’ve kindly given me the go-ahead to share my journey and images with you all back home.

First Impressions:

• The Atmosphere: It is such a lovely school. The kindness the staff show the children is incredible.

• Cultural Shifts: They use a lot of physical touch while teaching here—something we aren't used to in Ireland—but you can see how happy and secure the children feel because of it.

• The Setup: Each class seems to have a teacher and an assistant, managing a big mix of ages and specific needs.

• Hands-on: I spent my first day helping out with fine motor skills and exploring their sensory equipment. We even got the rollers out! The excitement on the kids' faces was the highlight of my day.

The Reality: The school has a huge premises, but the resources are slim—the classrooms are quite "peeled back." Janet mentioned they are currently over-capacity in the downstairs rooms and are desperate for an extra teacher.

They are currently waiting on a new storey to be built so they can finally set up a proper sensory room. The potential here is massive, but the needs are even bigger.

Sending love to everyone and thank you for your prayers! Can’t wait to see what the following days bring.