Sewing Classes Empower Christian Widows and Build Interfaith Bridges in Egypt

Christian widows in Egypt often face religious and gender-based oppression. Widowhood is marked by black clothing, social isolation and limited opportunities to work or provide for one’s family. Egypt’s Christian minority, known as Copts, make up about 10% of the population and have historically experienced marginalization, which can be especially acute for women.

Uncharted Ministries is encouraging these believers by equipping them with a new skill and reminding them they have a purpose. The ministry purchased several sewing machines and hired a local Christian seamstress to offer a six-day sewing class as encouragement and practical help to 12 women.

Intended for Christian widows, Muslim women also find help

The ministry’s Erik Ouimette said Uncharted hopes to honor the women, giving them a new skill and a reason to be in the public square again, engaging with civic life. The ministry wants the widows to know that they are worthy of investment and are valuable. They originally intended the event to be a ministry for Christian women. However, the on-the-ground team in Egypt turned it into an opportunity for evangelism.

“We’ve got enough sewing machines here, and the room is large enough,” they said. “What if we bring in six Christian widows and six Muslim widows? What would happen?”

Public interfaith gatherings like this are uncommon—and sometimes discouraged—given Egypt’s long history of tension between religious communities. Muslims and Christians in the country are not supposed to gather for events such as this, so the biggest concern going into class was that security might shut it down. The event was successful, however, and the favor with security that was prayed for was granted. The class was a rare example of how Christians and Muslims could interact.

“I’ve never seen more women, more integrated, sitting side by side at a sewing machine,” Ouimette said. “One of them was running the elastic on a band of a pair of pants, and the other one was sitting there running the machine through. You would never know that one was a Christian and one was a Muslim. You would never know as the children in the room were playing, which kids were of which religion.”

Uncharted Ministries hopes to hold more classes in the future.

“No one held up women in a culture that did not more than Jesus did,” he said. “That was the heart of our Lord and Savior, and that continues to be one of the big differentiating pieces between how Christians interact with women in Egypt and how the Muslim culture does.”

For more information, visit unchartedministries.com.