Rifka's House Donate →

A village where
generations belong
to each other.

An intergenerational sanctuary where children and elders without family care are woven into one community. A model designed to be replicated across the developing world.

Build the village → Our story
Our Mission

Giving every child the foundation of a family
and the wisdom of a lifetime.

The Need

The numbers we refuse to accept.

In developing nations, two generations are being left behind in parallel. One grows up without family. The other grows old without purpose. Rifka's House exists because the cycle has to be broken.

153M
Children worldwide classified as living without family care.
5,700
Children lose parental care every single day.
15M
Children have lost both parents and live in complete vulnerability.
272M
Children and youth are currently out of school.
500×
Higher likelihood of suicide for children raised in institutional care.
260M
Young people not in education, employment, or training.
1 in 4
Adults 60+ experience social isolation worldwide.
50%
Higher risk of dementia for socially isolated elders.
15
Cigarettes per day. The health equivalent of chronic loneliness.
Four young children sitting on the floor, shaping green clay together at Rifka's House.
Working together. Laying the foundation for a brighter tomorrow.
From our stories

The shared candle.

"In a rural village, three siblings sit around a single dim candle to do their lessons. Their parents are gone, and the eldest, barely twelve, is the one who strikes the match."

Her struggle is the flickering nature of her own childhood. She is so busy keeping the light on for her brothers that she is forgetting how to be a child herself.

Read more stories →
Why we are building

We refuse to let these numbers be the final word.

Rifka's House is designed to break the cycle by bringing together the two groups most affected by it: seniors and children without families.

By creating one shared community, anchored in physician-led care, daily mentorship, and the rhythm of our Mango Farm Village in Egypt, we replace isolation with belonging and joblessness with purpose.

The model is intentionally simple, intentionally human, and intentionally replicable. What we build here is meant to be built again, and again, and again.

Our Three Pillars

Three pillars. One village.

Every part of Rifka's House is designed to do one thing: weave the generations together so neither one stands alone.

01  ·  Community

A secure campus designed for the flourishing of youth.

Cluster homes built around shared courtyards, where children grow up knowing exactly who they belong to and who belongs to them.

02  ·  Connection

Daily rituals that weave the generations together.

Meals, lessons, walks, work in the orchard. The day is structured so children and elders cross paths constantly, by design.

03  ·  Care

Physician-led medical oversight and total wellness.

Two founding physicians lead clinical care for every resident, children and elders alike, held to the standard of the institutions that trained them.

From our stories

The mismatched shoes.

"A young boy in the system wears sneakers two sizes too big, stuffed with newspaper so they do not slip off. They were a gift from a temporary roommate who moved on. Every step he takes is a reminder of 'hand-me-down' affection."

His struggle is the lack of something, anything, that was bought specifically for him, by someone who knows his name.

Read more stories →
A young boy in a green smock smiles as he rolls paint onto a wall at Rifka's House.
His first mural · An afternoon of color
The Sanctuary

A fortress of belonging.

The sanctuary is meticulously designed to build connection through physical space. Every cluster, every courtyard, every shared meal arranged with intention.

  • Residential Cluster HomesChildren and elders live in a shared rhythm. The hearth of the sanctuary.
  • Professional StaffSocial workers, tutors, and physician-led oversight ensure comprehensive care for every resident.
  • The Mango Farm VillageBoth classroom and livelihood. Residents learn agricultural stewardship through our artisan products.
Illustration of Rifka's House: a mango-shaped home with children and elders playing together
A young girl with painted flowers on her cheeks colors a rainbow drawing at Rifka's House.
"We love and respect…" · A morning at the table
From our stories

The unfinished notebook.

"In a crowded city center, a young boy sits under a streetlamp every night. He has a notebook with only three pages left. He writes stories of a father he barely remembers, but he writes slowly, fearing that when the paper runs out, his memories will too."

His struggle is the scarcity of a witness. The need for someone to give him a new book and tell him his story matters.

Read more stories →
Founders & Leadership

Two brothers. Two great medical institutions. One sanctuary.

Dr. Michael Ghaly and Dr. Mark Ghaly bring decades of clinical expertise, and the lived bond of brotherhood, to a sanctuary grounded in medical excellence and intergenerational care.

Meet our leadership →

Help us build a blueprint
for global restoration.

Your support helps us create a replicable model of intergenerational care that can transform communities around the world.

Donate now Partner with us