Al Fayoum, Egypt – 23 June 2014 ∙ Misr El Kheir Foundation and Caravan Marketing Company, with attendance by HE Dr. Hazem Atiyatallah, the Governor of Al Fayoum, celebrated the graduation of their first class under the Technological Education Initiative for Community Schools.
In cooperation with Caravan Marketing Company, the manaufacturer of Bonjorno Café, Misr El Kheir foundation education sector organized a graduation ceremony for the first class under the Technological Education Initiative for Community Schools yesterday. Caravan has financed the initiative in two affiliate schools of Misr El Kheir, namely Sanhour and Khalaf schools in Al Fayoum Governorate. In partnership with local NGOs in Upper Egypt, the leading foundation manages and operates 800 community schools, serving 20,850 dropouts in remote and underprivileged areas
The graduation ceremony was attended by HE Dr. Hazem Atiyatallah, Governor of Al Fayoum, Mr. Amr Barakat, General Manager of Caravan Marketing Company, Dr. Nashwa Ayioub, Director of the Educational Sector at Misr El Kheir Foundation, Mr. Mahmoud Abu El Ghiet, Under-Secretary of Ministry of Education in Al Fayoum. In addition, representatives from Misr El Kheir Foundation and the Family and Local Community Development Association in Al Fayoum were also in attendance.
“This initiative is an excellent model of how community involvement should be. Caravan and Misr El Kheir have joined forces, in cooperation with the Family and Local Community Development Association in Al Fayoum, to encourage children to stay in school, aiming to reduce dropout rates and child labor. It is a way to empower them to go to the college of their dreams, while providing a better future for them and Egypt alike” said HE Dr. Hazem Atiyatallah, the Governor of Al Fayoum during the celebration’s inaugural speech.
The ceremony featured a computer skills competitions among students from Khalaf and Sanhour El Qibliya schools. The competitions were comprised of students displaying their Microsoft Office skills, designing greeting cards through specialized programs and surfing the internet. Following the competitions, the students performed a few songs. Two female students told their story of success inspired by their parents and the Family and Local Community Development Association in Al Fayoum. The ceremony concluded by honoring outstanding students and the distribution of certificates of appreciation and awards.
“The smiles I saw today on the children’s faces are the sincerest form of happiness. It shows what we were able to achieve in both schools. We do believe that these children are the future of this country, which is why we are very keen to contribute in developing the educational tools in governmental schools in Egypt, with the aim to achieve real human development on all levels and in cooperation with Misr El Kheir Foundation. With today’s initiative, we send a significant message to the private sector to do its social part and to contribute to the development of schools in underprivileged and remote areas. This commitment will definitely help address the educational challenges, while enabling more children to keep up with the technological and educational advancements” said Amr Barakat, the General Manager of Caravan.
“We congratulate this exceptional cooperation between Caravan, Misr El Kheir and Family and Local Community Development Association in Al Fayoum for their astounding success in achieving the key objectives of Misr El Kheir, which focuses mainly on the development of the Egyptian community and fighting unemployment, illiteracy and poverty in Al Fayoum. The Technological Education Initiative for Community Schools in cooperation with Caravan is just the beginning of a series of other initiatives offering advanced educational services to Misr El Kheir community schools, by providing those schools with computers and necessary training to students and teachers alike, introducing innovative topics uncovered by traditional educational curricula to them. This approach will help young children gain new problem solving skills, by practicing certain activities and games on computers and the internet. The computer is a very attractive and entertaining educational medium with many audio-visual advantages. We always encourage the private sector to take their part in developing communities, while we feel happy to see their contributions in human investment on many levels, particularly education, reaching out for a cooperative community with self-development capabilities” said Dr. Nashwa Ayioub, the Director of the Educational Sector at Misr El Kheir Foundation .
The graduation ceremony was the culmination of the joint initiative “for a better future of Al Faiyum children“, launched by Caravan and Misr El Kheir last year. It includes processing two computer labs inside two schools in Al Fayoum governorate, to teach students (ages 7 – 12 years old) how to use computers and developing technological skills, like computer design and surfing the internet, aiming to incorporate technological development for schools, community as well as raise the capabilities of teachers and mentors to integrate technology in the processes of education while allowing internet access and paying the monthly fee.
In addition, the initiative aims to organize competitions and awards among students to encourage them to stay in school and continue learning innovatively and creatively.