27 January 2006

Cairo, Egypt: One hour per week for ten weeks. That is what 130 Injaz (‘achievement’ in Arabic) United Nations Volunteer (UNV) Associates have devoted to youth in classrooms throughout Egypt.

The first group of Injaz UNV Associates recently ended their assignments, where, since last September, they spent time with students, sharing knowledge and spurring creativity to boost their propensity for learning.

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the UNV programme in Egypt partnered with the international organization Save the Children to support employees of companies like Barclays, British Petroleum, Pepsi, Procter and Gamble, and Shell in devoting time to foster the country’s next generation of leaders.

The UNV Programme Officer in Egypt, Ms. Eva Otero, says the Injaz volunteer initiative provides the private sector the opportunity to give back to communities. “This initiative, between the United Nations, Save the Children and the private sector, reinforces the notion that all levels of partnership are required to positively impact the development of communities and minds,” she says.

As UNV Associates, she adds, they joined the UN family in Egypt and were able to access a network of other volunteer involving organizations, providing further backing to mobilize others and generate advocacy around the Injaz volunteer initiative.

For the volunteers, the experience was rewarding. “Participating in Injaz represented my first community service experience and I was really privileged to volunteer in a successful program like Injaz,” says Khaled Ahmadain. “I enjoyed the thrill of making a difference in [the lives of] our disadvantaged youth at public schools… and enriching their awareness.”

Injaz UNV Associate Shady Hakeem says, “What is really amazing about children is that I learnt about and from them…It is a mutual experience that both sides could definitely benefit from. I hope that we all join and share such a very special experience.”

Egypt has a large student population with many lacking skills and the practical experience needed to enter the workplace. Injaz helps to bridge this gap by offering courses that give hands-on knowledge and experience with the ultimate aim of enhancing youths’ skills to enter the job market as qualified employees or entrepreneurs.

Save the Children started the Injaz initiative in Jordan in 1999; by 2001 it became a non-profit Jordanian corporation. Save the Children is now aiming for the same outcome in Egypt by supporting the initiative in schools throughout Cairo, Giza, Menia and Alexandria. Now in its third year in the country, Injaz has reached more than 2,500 students in 18 preparatory schools with the help of volunteers from 10 major private sector companies.