This article was first published on Saturday, April 9th, 2011 in The Caravan , The American University in Cairo's student produced newspaper.
As political developments continue to dominate headlines since the revolution began, several AUCians have offered creative solutions to re-build the country, one volunteering initiative at a time.
Ahmed El-Kassem, a business sophomore, believes that education can greatly help Egyptians think more independently, but is still concerned about lower class Egyptians.
When asked about the referendum results and constitutional amendments, he said: “Our target should be the lower classes. We need to educate them regarding the future politics of the country instead of letting political parties decide for them.”
El-Kassem is one of the project managers of an online volunteering program established by the Gerhart Centre at AUC.
The initiative aims at encouraging volunteerism among Egyptian youth and Non-Governmental Organizations to strategize their ideas and put them into action.
“We’re trying to link up Egyptians and NGOs together based on fields they’re both specialized in, such as computer science, arts and crafts, interior design and many more,” he said.
El-Kassem is very hopeful that the results of the initiative will soon bear fruit, but remains concerned about lower class Egyptians believing that volunteer work may not necessarily be enough.
A similar initiative was started by Omar Kandil, a political science senior and former Student Union President, who collaborated with a friend to work on a community service project called “Nebny Foundation”.
The foundation aims at re-innovating buildings, fostering job opportunities and reviving tourism back in Egypt. According to Kandil, the project will be in the form of a two-week festival that starts June 15 featuring international celebrities with the hope of hosting 800,000 tourists in Cairo, Alexandria, Sharm El-Sheikh and Luxor.
“I know the initiative is not enough, but it will make a lot of difference for many Egyptians, and that’s what matters the most”, he said.
Kandil has been trying to link up AUC students with “Nebny Foundation” to encourage them to take part in re-building Egypt.
“These projects give us hope to re-build our country and get it back on its feet. I am disappointed to witness lack of spirit in many AUCians who have so much potential to benefit their country.”
While some take part in initiatives to help improve the country’s conditions, others find a way to help honor the revolution.
Farah Badrawy, a graduating senior double majoring in art and integrated marketing, is working with a group of graduating seniors on their graduation project that aims at re-innovating Tahrir Square.
Farah Badrawy, a graduating senior double majoring in art and integrated marketing, is working with a group of graduating seniors on their graduation project that aims at re-innovating Tahrir Square.
“We have collaborated with the Mass Communication Association Club to raise funds in order to erect a monument to honor the martyrs of the revolution,” she said.
The event was scheduled to be held in Tahrir, Ewart Hall on April 9 featuring famous Egyptian musician Omar Khairat.
“This is the best time to work on such a project. As Egyptians, we may have a long way to go, but I am very hopeful and optimistic. This project is a first step”, Badrawy commented.
She viewed the revolution as “inspirational”, and expressed how proud she is with the accomplishments of the Egyptian Revolution.
However, after the referendum results on the constitutional amendments, Badrawy had mixed feelings. Although disappointed for a while, she strongly believes that change cannot happen overnight, and that Egyptians will have to be more patient and tolerant with the news in the coming few months.
Abdallah Daour, a Mechanical Engineering Junior, believes that the role average Egyptians can play has become crucial after the Revolution.
He emphasized the importance of education at this critical juncture saying that it is one of the solutions to help the people become fully aware of what’s happening in Egypt and the Middle East.
Daour stressed that Egyptians should act differently towards their country. He said that he started to view the role of education differently after January 25 saying that Egyptian students should stop thinking about themselves and remember to benefit their country.
However, Daour is finding it hard to keep up with the news while trying to concentrate on his studies.
“The amount of news I read every day is overwhelming, but I cannot simply ignore any news related to my country,” he said.
