CAIRO: Egyptians are beginning to lay the foundation for a campaign for Maggie Gobrah, or “Mama Maggie” as she is known locally, a nun in Cairo who has been dubbed “Mother Teressa of Cairo” by her supporters. According to reports this week, the Coptic Christian nun who let go of an affluent upbringing to devote herself to public service has been nominated for the 2012 Nobel Peace Prize. She is the founder and CEO of the non-profit charity Stephen's Children in Cairo and has been assisting the impoverished in her capacity since leaving academia in 1989 and joining a nunnery, where she had devoted herself to social justice and God since. “She is a wonderful woman and has done so much for people in Cairo. She deserves the recognition as she has fought for those who have no voice,” one Christian girl told Bikyamasr.com on Monday after hearing of “Mama Maggie” and her nomination. She has been one of the few outspoken voices over the past two decades pushing for poverty alleviation, assisting street children and delivering services to the poor in a country where social stratification makes the class society that persists in Egypt even wider. Her supporters are hopeful that she will be the Peace Prize winner, and believe more in the world should know who Mama Maggie is to Egyptians.
