Saneya Elnimer

A Pioneer of Special Educational Needs in Egypt

Saneya’s journey with special needs began when her youngest daughter was born with a rare congenital heart condition that kept her at hospitals for weeks at a time. During these long stays, Saneya would frequently volunteer around the hospital and began to gain experience in parenting a child with special needs and received training to enable her to manage her daughter’s condition and nurture her development. It is then that Saneya began viewing the world through a different lens and appreciating the importance of the role Special Educational facilities provide.

Soon after graduation, Saneya settled in London, UK with her husband, where she had her three children. When it was time to move back to Cairo in 1993, the search for a school capable of providing for her daughter’s unique needs began but to no avail.

It became clear that the only way to sustain the kind of caring and nurturing her daughter needed, was to finally make her dream come true and to set up a special needs school.

The Continental School of Cairo opened its doors in January 1994 to 13 students with Special Educational Needs, making it the first school in the Middle East to cater for students with Learning Difficulties. Over the course of the next 25 years, The Continental School has grown to include a reputable Inclusive British International School as well as a National School serving more than 1500 students.

Saneya Elnimer received her schooling in the city of Alexandria at the E.G.C. She then went on to complete her University studies at Ain Shams University and graduated from the Faculty of Commerce with a degree in Business Administration.