Hebat el Nile
A Waldorf-inspired Community Kindergarten and School
About Hebat el Nile
Hebat El Nile is a Waldorf-inspired kindergarten and elementary school in the village of Al-Bairat, situated on the West Bank of the Nile River in Luxor, Egypt. It is a school that prides itself on providing a unique and meaningful education for its students, where each child is seen as an individual and where the ability to think freely is fostered in order for the child to meet the ever-changing world with confidence and strength. Through inspiring academic work, artistic and creative skill-building and physical education, the curriculum cultivates a healthy balance of the three faculties of thinking, feeling, and willing. Hebat el Nile is a community school, offering students in marginalized communities access to quality education regardless of income and financial status.
Rudolf Steiner says
We must first make ourselves truly human, warm in soul and strong of spirit, so that we, as spirit in humanity, may find the spirit in the world
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Our Location
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Our Mission
At Hebat el Nile community school, we strive to raise girls and boys who are creative, independent, and free thinkers, and who choose their own path as they step into the world. All children, regardless of financial or physical circumstance, are received with reverence and educated with love. We seek to foster within each individual a deep appreciation and a sense of responsibility for the world, for the surrounding environment, and for each other.
Our Original Vision and Mission: An Inspiring Humanitarian Goal
When we first founded Hebat El Nil Waldorf School, our goal was to transform education from the routine and mundane to the artistic and inspiring. But in working with children from rural communities, we discovered an even higher purpose and humanitarian goal.
We aim to awaken and nurture humanity in children through the holistic Waldorf curriculum. Our approach, inspired by the Austrian philosopher Rudolf Steiner, cultivates children's heads, hearts and hands. We believe when children experience and understand beauty, truth and goodness from an early age, they develop compassion and consciousness that lasts a lifetime.
Quality Waldorf education should not be a privilege only accessible to some. Our school opened with the vision of bringing this enlightened style of learning to underserved children and communities. We want to empower children in need and turn poverty into possibility through the freedom that comes from knowledge and creativity.
By unlocking children's potential through music, arts and environment-based learning, we strive to create a better and more just world for future generations. Our devoted teachers work to inspire students' curiosity in all branches of human knowledge and foster a lifelong love of learning.
Beyond academic excellence, our goal is to awaken what is human in each child. We aim to cultivate virtue, empathy, logic, resilience and purpose so that children can go on to lead meaningful lives that contribute to the greater good. By educating both hearts and minds, Waldorf schools thus have an immense social responsibility and humanitarian role to play.
This aspirational goal guides everything we do at Hebat El Nil School. We believe that by transforming education, we can ultimately change the world for the better. Our vision is to empower today's students to become tomorrow's leaders in humanity, science and society. By unlocking creativity and compassion in each child, they can build a better future for us all.
While our school started small, our mission and impact continue to grow. We remain dedicated to awakening human potential, creating opportunity and advancing society through Waldorf education. Our humanitarian vision gives purpose to our efforts and inspiration to never stop progressing. Together, we can achieve something greater.
History of Hebat el Nile
Hebat El Nile, which translates to “Gift of the Nile,” began as just a Foundation and a small Waldorf kindergarten in 2016, located on the West Bank of Luxor. The aim was to provide local children with an alternative start for their education with the long-term dream of a complete school to follow. Initially, the foundation was faced with a question: how to gain trust from the community in order to create a successful first step towards the first Waldorf-inspired educational facility in Upper Egypt?
Through word of mouth that came from the motivational drive of the members of the foundation and the kindergarten teachers, the surrounding families within the community began to show interest in their ideas which soon led to an abundance of students enrolled in the two kindergarten groups.
After the success of the pioneering kindergarten, Class One followed soon after with no shortage of students. The first year of elementary school began in 2017. However, at this time Hebat El Nile was operating out of a rented villa which soon became too small for all the students and was also needed by the owner by autumn of 2018.
This is when the construction of Hebat El Nile’s current iconic buildings began on a peaceful plot of land, surrounded by banana forests, fields of wheat, sugarcane, and palm trees. With the support from the Freunde der Erziehungskunst Foundation based in Berlin, financial support began to trickle in and soon the first installment of buildings was underway. The Freunde der Erziehungskunst Foundation supported the building of the school in three steps: the first was the required wall around the land of the school, followed by the administration building and the kindergarten building. The second consisted of the primary school that goes all the way until class six, and the stunning mosque. The third installment has not yet begun, but will eventually include the secondary school, an activity building for creative classes such as eurythmy, woodwork and art, and a library.
Today, Hebat El Nile has about 164 students ranging from kindergarten to class six, and hopes to include a class seven in the beginning of the next school year.
Atef Amen (Founder & Chief Financial Officer)
&
Dr. Ibrahim Abu El-Eish (the founder of the SEKEM organization)
we would like to express our heartfelt gratitude and appreciation to the late Dr. Ibrahim Abu El-Eish, the founder of the SEKEM organization. Dr. Abu El-Eish has been our constant source of inspiration and support since 2015. After his passing, his children, Mona Abu El-Eish and Helmy Abu El-Eish, have continued the legacy of generosity and unwavering support for us. They have opened the doors of SEKEM wide for us, providing us with training and invaluable experiences that we carry with us as we return to our children at Heba Al-Nile School.
We would like to extend our love, gratitude, and appreciation to all of them. Their significant contributions to the development of our institution and the enhancement of our capabilities are truly priceless. The close and sustainable relationship built with the Abu El-Eish family reflects their dedication, commitment, and exceptional vision.
We are deeply grateful for their ongoing support and inspiration, which drives us to move forward and achieve further success. The legacy of Dr. Ibrahim Abu El-Eish will undoubtedly remain present in our work and future goals.
At Heba Al-Nile, we extend our best wishes to Dr. Ibrahim Abu El-Eish's children, Mona and Helmy, for constant happiness and success in their lives. We are thankful to you for all that you have provided and continue to provide in terms of valuable support. We take pride in the strong bond that connects us and look forward to further collaboration and shared accomplishments in the future.
What is Waldorf Education?
Waldorf education was founded in the early 20th century by artist and scientist Rudolf Steiner, the principles of which evolve from a profound understanding of the developmental needs of a growing child. The education seeks to cultivate the intellectual, emotional, physical and spiritual capacities of each individual, helping them to develop into the fullest of their potential, by mirroring and supporting the inner developmental processes the child is experiencing. The children are educated from a holistic, experiential perspective, engaging in the arts, music, theater, writing and literature, practical work and stories alongside and throughout their academic work. This way of learning cultivates in the children an ability to truly assimilate information, rather than merely memorizing facts. They learn to think independently, creatively and critically, and are highly capable and motivated in all areas of life. Respect and recognition of the unfolding individuality of the child is central to the principles of teaching.
موسم الحصاد
harvest season
How are teachers prepared in Hebat El Nile?
- We are delighted to announce the establishment of an innovative task force in our school, dedicated to enhancing the education process. In pursuit of this objective, we have acquired a series of exceptional training courses.
- One of the standout training programs we've implemented is an English language course, delivered by Mr. Youssef, a native English speaker residing in our village. His exceptional cooperation and willingness to assist in teaching the teachers English have ignited the teachers' enthusiasm and keenness to learn.
- Furthermore, we've organized a teacher preparation course aligned with the Waldorf curriculum. This collaborative effort involved Mrs. Maria, who brings thirty years of experience as a Waldorf teacher in the Netherlands and currently resides in our village. Her wholehearted embrace of the idea to aid and train the teachers in the Waldorf system has been invaluable.
- Additionally, we've conducted training in drawing, sculpture, and earth art. The exceptionally talented teacher Shaimaa has been imparting her expertise in these arts to the teachers, transforming the academic curriculum into dynamic and innovative activities.
- Lastly, we've provided training for the teachers in drama and storytelling. Mrs. Mona, with a decade of training at the Fantasia Foundation, has been coaching the teachers in producing educational plays and adapting stories into theatrical productions and songs, enriching the students' learning experience.
We take pride in assembling a specialized and forward-thinking task force that contributes to elevating the quality of education in our school. Our continuous efforts are aimed at realizing our vision of delivering exceptional and captivating education for our students.
Training snapshots
Hala Amin Mohamed
Administrator, Treasurer, etc.
Faculty and Staff
Governance
Atef Amen
Founder & Chief Financial Officer
Hala Amen Mohamed
School Principal, Training Officer
Hala is the co-founder of the Hebat el Nile foundation. She is passionate about Waldorf education and is interested in facilitating the cooperation between Waldorf educational foundations and government education. She seeks to effectively implement Waldorf educational principles in government schools.
Rasha AbdElaziz
Teacher Training Programs Coordinator
holds a diploma in pedagog and a diploma in Psychological health, currently studying at the Faculty of Arts, Department of Psychology.. received Waldorf teacher preparation training (kindergarten) since 2015 until now at Hebat El-Nil Foundation and SEKEM Foundation
Yasser Mohamed
Vice President of the Board of Trustees
Alanwr Hassan
Technology Specialist
Abdul Rahim
Secretary
Teachers
Reham Mahmoud El-Sayed Hassan, Kindergarten
Lamia Hosany, Kindergarten
Reham studied Literature and Education - Kindergarten and Childhood. She is currently preparing a preliminary master's degree in Kindergarten, Childhood and Behavior Modification.
Lamia has a bachelor's degree in psychology, philisophy, sociology and logic at the Faculty of Education.
Zainab Mostafa, Kindrgarten
Bachelor of Arts and Education, Department of Arabic Language, classroom teacher, I look forward to developing myself and working to achieve my goals
Shaimaa Mohamed, Art and Scultpure
Shaimaa studied Artistic Education in the Faculty of Education.
Mohamed Ali, Arabic
Mohamed has a bachelor's degree of Arts and Education from the Arabic Department.
Ibrahim Mohamed Abdul-Hazis, Calligraphy
Ibrahim has a talent in the art of Arabic calligraphy. He is very interested in the beauty of the letter, and he hopes that this beautiful art flourishes among children.
Mona Lamai Fikri, science teacher
Graduate of General Education, English Chemistry Department, South Valley University, 2023
Asma Hassan Al-Nahhas, First grade teacher
Saans literature and education division of Arabic language and Islamic studies
Professional diploma in education specializing in educational technology
Special diploma in education specializing in curricula and teaching methods
Mariam Hassaan Ali,classroom teacher Fifth grade
Bachelor's degree in Sharia Law from the Faculty of Sharia and Law, Al-Azhar University.
Doaa Ismail Muhammad, Fourth grade teacher
Basic education majoring in Arabic language and Islamic studies
Aya Mohamed Atta Mohamed, Third Grade Teacher
Bachelor of Arabic Language - Al-Azhar University - Diploma in General Education
Mohamed Ahmed, Maths
Mohamed attended the Al-Azhar university in Cairo, Egypt. He received his bachelor's degree in science and education, specializing in the maths department.
Sahar Ibrahim, second grade teacher
Bachelor of Islamic and Arabic studies, journalism and media division
Asmaa Ahmed Mohamed, science teacher
College of Education, Basic Department of Science
Qualification/ Bachelor of Science and Education
Staff
Ahmed Sayed
Security Supervisor
Nubian Abdul Maugod
Worker
Mohamed Hasany
Gardener
Sekina Ahmed
Cleaner
Teaching the Arabic language
The Foundation is currently conducting projects for self-sufficiency of projects within the framework of the sustainable development of the Foundation
Teaching Arabic to non-native speakers
(colloquial - Easter) for all levels
From the introductory level to professionalism
Contact Us 002/01065959172
We need your support!
We Need Waldorf Teacher Training:
Hebat El-Nil School is excited to extend an invitation to all retired and non-retired Waldorf teachers to come train our teachers on the Waldorf education system. We believe that the experience and expertise that these teachers bring will be invaluable in shaping our educational curriculum. Waldorf teacher trainings are largely inaccessible for the teachers. Although they are very inspired and motivated by the potential and approach of Waldorf educational principles, the teachers do not have formal Waldorf teacher training, nor do they have experience in Waldorf schools. In order to ensure a successful training session, we request that all trainers communicate with the Freunde de Erziehungskunst organization in advance to coordinate schedules and ensure the smooth delivery of training content. We look forward to working with Waldorf teachers from all over the world!
We Need Financial Resources:
Hebat el Nile community school has required tremendous sacrifice and dedication from the teachers. Despite the interest and enthusiasm from both the local community and from Egyptian government agencies in the mission and method of Waldorf education after seeing Hebat el Nile, the school faces many challenges.
The school is a community school, so it requires no tuition from its students in order to be accessible to all. It is funded by external donations and sponsorships alone. Thus, teachers’ salaries, school supplies and funding for the completion of the building of the campus is insufficient, which heavily inhibits the development of the school.
We Need Teaching Materials:
All Waldorf school supplies such as teaching materials, crayons, paint, and main lesson books among other items are largely inaccessible for the teachers.
Any donations would be gratefully received and put towards teachers wages, school materials and supplies, plus the funding for the third installment of buildings to be constructed. Please consider donating via the options below:
Donation Information
*To directly donate to Hebat El Nile school.
IBAN :
DE4743060967
0013042010
BIC :
GENODEMIGLS
*GLS Bank
Bank account :
3240001000007205
Swift cod :
BMIS EG CX 140
*To donate to the non-profit foundation who financially supports us, please state it’s for Hebat el Nile, so the money goes to the school.
Contact us!
Do you have any more questions about our school?
Don't hesitate to reach out to us here at Hebat el Nile, we would be more than happy to answer any questions you have. Find our contact information down below, including the link to our social media to stay up to date with our journey.
- +20 100 057 7473
- School email: hebatelnile.found@gmail.com
- School administrator: halah_amal@yahoo.com
Supporters
We are proud of the honor of our partnership with you, and we would like to express our deep gratitude for the fruitful cooperation we are witnessing.