Volunteer in Egypt

Experience the peak of social inequality in Cairo, and witness first-hand a widening gap between

This program was established when parents in the area would send their children straight to work to support their families, rather than having them receive an education. We are working to establish a balance, allowing the children to receive an education 3 days a week, and spend the other 3 days making crafts to earn money. This way children will have access to education, while earning a much needed steady income to support their households.

The workshops provided have allowed women living in this patriarchal society to make crafts and establish autonomy, by earning a living that allows them to escape unsettling circumstances, such as domestic violence, by not relying on their husbands for money.

Explore our after-school programs and engage the children in areas like tutoring, library book club and physical education.

Since the teachers have a very limited understanding of the English language, you will be playing an essential role in shaping these children’s future by interacting with them, and teaching them how to read and write in English.

Get ready to put your creative skills into practice, as you work with children to explore their talents through performing arts, which include theatre, choir, performance, and music classes. The goal is to use creative arts and explore various talents of community members to further the development of this underprivileged community.

*This is a rough example of how your work week as an Urban Sustainable Community Development volunteer could look. However, due to the nature of the project these activities may change on a daily basis.

Teaching Support, Performing Arts Cultivation & Vocational Training

Get fully involved in teaching children English language, computer skills, arts and crafts and physical education, as well using your creativity to enrich and come up with fresh ideas for their performing arts program, which already includes circus acrobatics, percussion, Arabic folklore, choir and theatre.

Play an important role in introducing our Physical Education and Nutritional Awareness Program to the community, as well as providing the children with individual attention and helping them advance their English language skills in our after-school tutoring program.

You will add great value to this program by assisting overburdened teachers and incorporating their knowledge and skills into the children’s curriculum. We hope to have each volunteer focus on 4-5 children, to provide them with individual attention, and work closely with them to reach their full potential and achieve their academic goals.

You also have the option of taking part in the vocational training program, while learning various crafts (including woodworking, metalworking, needle working and basketmaking) from different artisans. You can make traditional Egyptian items to take home for a financial contribution that will go towards purchasing raw materials to ensure the continuity of the vocational program, that acts as a source of income for the majority of the homes in the neighborhood.

Get the chance to utilize your creative side by exploring marketing ideas to help raise awareness about the Performance Arts program, and come up with new methods of product development to increase sales of products handmade by members of the community to enrich the Vocational Training program.

Street Cleaning, Painting and Home Improvements

Get ready to get your hands dirty and take part in upgrading the living standards for the residents of Istabl Antar. Your work may include cleaning, painting and minor restoration activities in streets, homes and schools in the neighborhood.

In 2023-2024, you can join us on the following dates:

2023

• 14, 21 October
• 11, 25 November
• 16, 30 December

2024

• 13, 27 January
• 10, 24 February
• 9, 23 March
• 13, 27 April
• 11, 25 May
• 8, 22 June
• 13, 27 July
• 10, 24 August
• 14, 28 September
• 12, 26 October
• 9, 23 November
• 14, 28 December

Egypt, like many underdeveloped countries, has a major issue of overcrowded classrooms and teachers with limited resources in public schools, causing substandard literacy rates. This project is heavily focused on enriching the community of a rural district, mainly through interactive educational, craftsmanship and recreational programs.

Teachers in Egypt often earn a very basic salary and can be overwhelmed with numerous students. Going to Kindergarten as a child in Egypt is necessary, since children need to enter public schools with basic knowledge, in order to keep up with the intensity of the public school education system. Public schools host around 120 to 180 children per classroom, making it near impossible to give each student the necessary attention required.

You will be spending the majority of your time in classrooms assisting teachers and providing children with much needed individual attention they would not get otherwise.

Become part of the team, as you work with special needs members of the community to establish some structure in their lives, by planning for and assisting them in engaging activities and handiwork projects.

Kindergarten Literacy & Conduct Guidance

You will be fully involved in helping to keep children off the street and prepare them for elementary education. It’s so important for children to learn how to read and write at an early age before starting school. Due to the low standard of education and numerous children in the Egyptian public school system, you will play a vital role in making it possible for children to receive an adequate education at this young age.

Since these children are often raised in unsettling home environments, you will help them improve and nurture their relationships by teaching them respectful behavior techniques and alternatives to hostile conduct, when dealing with each other and others.

You will play a significant role in moulding these children’s futures by teaching them how to read and write English. Your support is essential in this program also due to the low quality of English language communication by the teachers. You will be busy working with 4 kindergartens, each with about 80 to 100 children.

Special Needs

There is a significant stigma in Egypt when it comes to those with special needs. This negative association is heightened in rural communities, where the majority are undereducated and have a lack of understanding of such conditions.

Get ready to work with children and young adults, living with different disabilities such as cerebral palsy, down syndrome, autism, deafness and speech impediments. The majority of these children are often hidden or abandoned, as a result of the dishonorable perception of having a special needs child in Egyptian society. Rather than accepting and assisting their child in dealing with their condition, the parents often choose to conceal the disability by keeping the child out of sight.

Our goal is to create a safe environment, where those with special needs feel comfortable being themselves, and are able to flourish as part of the wider society, rather than being made to feel different. You will play an integral part in providing an accepting space, where they can gradually start to feel secure and a part of their community, despite their extremely challenging circumstances.

You will be involved in planning activities that engage them and providing them with an extra level of care and support. You will be doing this through: 1) Academic exercises 2) Fun/recreational activities

3) Handiwork

The handiwork involves making small carpets or candles or baskets. Although the quality of these may not be sellable, they are an amazing way to help build confidence and self-belief for these children.

Take part in helping the children with activities such as:

• Using building blocks to form structures to engage their creativity, problem-solving

and social skills

• Dance sessions to build confidence and improve motor and social skills
• Physical play to enhance the child’s awareness of their body and build endurance to

improve coordination and motor skills

• Using memory matching cards to improve memory and concentration skills
• Creating art (painting, drawing, coloring...etc.) to nurture their creative side while

improving motor and coordination skills

Bring out your creative side and bring fresh ideas and initiatives for new activities and skills to teach the children.

*This is a rough example of how your work week as a Rural Community Teaching & Development volunteer could look. However, due to the nature of the project these activities may change on a daily basis.

Teaching activities are only conducted during the school terms, so during school breaks you will have the option of continuing to work with the special needs group on project or switch to another one of our meaningful and impactful projects.

In 2023-2024, you can join us on the following dates:

2023

• 14, 21 October
• 11, 25 November
• 16, 30 December

2024

• 13, 27 January
• 10, 24 February
• 9, 23 March
• 13, 27 April
• 11, 25 May
• 8, 22 June
• 13, 27 July
• 10, 24 August
• 14, 28 September
• 12, 26 October
• 9, 23 November
• 14, 28 December