Egypt (MNN) — Sudan’s civil war has mercilessly uprooted families, scattering people across borders and leaving deep scars of grief. Many have fled to neighboring countries, including Egypt — but for Sudanese women, life as a refugee brings unique challenges.
Benita with the Nuba Mountains Bible Institute in Cairo (NBIC) says, “Now with the war, there’s huge increase in refugees, 900% in Cairo, and a lot of them are single moms with kids.”
Many husbands stayed behind to defend their land, were killed, or couldn’t escape. These women now face overwhelming needs — especially in education.
Cairo, Egypt (Photo courtesy of Ahmed Ezzat via Unsplash)
“They haven’t had almost any opportunities for education in Sudan beyond maybe basic elementary,” Benita explains.
To help, the ministry offers a one-year program for women, meeting one night a week. It focuses on psychological awareness, spiritual growth, theological training, and leadership development.
The goal, says Benita, is simple: “It equips Sudanese women to train others and to serve their community.”
However, many challenges stem from family struggles. “In Sudan,” explains Benita, “maybe only the man worked and the woman was able to stay home and focus on kids and household responsibilities.”
In Egypt, the situation is reversed. Refugees cannot legally work, so many take informal jobs. Women often find cleaning work more easily — and sometimes earn more than men. This shift disrupts traditional family roles. “That creates tension oftentimes in the marriage,” says Benita.
When husbands eventually reunite with their families after months or years apart, new strains appear. “Then if the husband can come to Egypt eventually, then he’s been estranged for a long time, and that takes a while to sort that out, and he hasn’t been involved really in raising the children.”
Moreover, amid war trauma, family conflict, and uncertainty, children often drift toward gangs or other dangerous lifestyles.
South Sudanese woman (Photo courtesy of Speak Media Uganda via Pexels)
That’s where the ministry steps in again, offering teaching and guidance to families and community leaders.
“We also have one of our staff teach about what’s the difference between what is our tribal practices around marriage and what’s actually the Bible, and help them to pick those apart,” Benita shares.
The ministry also educates women about their health and supports survivors of wartime rape — restoring dignity through God’s truth.
Pray for Sudanese people displaced from their homeland — that they find healing and hope in Christ’s love. Pray for the women to experience dignity, peace, and wisdom in the embrace of their Creator.
Header representative photo of two women (courtesy of Ab Pixels via Pexels).
