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MAGDA GOBRAN - EGYPT

Humanitarian and Civic Excellence – 2018

Magda Gobran, affectionately known as “Mama Maggie,” was once a top marketing executive and a respected computer science professor at the American University in Cairo. Over 20 years ago, her life took a transformative turn when she joined an outreach program that delivered food and clothing to Cairo’s “garbage slums,” where many of the city’s poorest families reside. Confronted with the overwhelming poverty and despair, Gobran felt an urgent calling to help, which ultimately led her to leave behind her comfortable upper-middle-class life.

Determined to make a difference, she began visiting the slums, dressed in all white, a symbol of her commitment to those she served. She believed that within every child there was a “hero” waiting to emerge, and she set out to provide the support to bring that potential to life. In 1985, she founded the nonprofit Stephen’s Children, dedicated to improving the lives of underprivileged children and youth across Egypt.

Through Stephen’s Children, Gobran introduced the concept of Community Education Centers (CECs), providing educational opportunities and essential services in impoverished neighborhoods. Her work has impacted more than 30,000 families, focusing on restoring dignity, instilling hope, and saving lives through education and outreach. Gobran’s compassion and dedication to the vulnerable have earned her multiple Nobel Peace Prize nominations, including in 2012 and 2018 by lawmakers in the United States. Reflecting on her journey, she humbly remarks, “This is all I want to be… A mother to them all,” embracing her role as “Mama Maggie” to countless children in need.