CAIRO: For the past couple of years a new trend in the non-profit sector has been gradually spreading; that of professional skill-based volunteer work. While philanthropy has existed in the Egyptian culture, it was largely, until recently, in the form of alms.
After a boom in youth movements and internet mobilizations, volunteering was revitalized in the 90s, in Egypt. By 2004 there were 2.5 million volunteers and 400 non-profit foundations registered in the philanthropic sector.
Many volunteer groups are now more involved in training and employment activities, loans projects, infrastructure development, which are more of value if compared to traditional charity activities as Ramadan packs, fun days for orphans, and the like.
“In the last five years there has been an approximate 50 percent rise in the number of volunteers at the Egyptian Center for Women’s Rights,” asserts Nahed Shetata, project director of the Civil Education Program for ECWR. “Even the attitude towards volunteering has changed where people are beginning to understand the need for active participation.”
Shehata added, “More skilled individuals such as translators, lawyers and web designers are dedicating hours, weeks or even months outside of their working schedule; a sense of dedication that seldom existed in Egypt five years ago.”
Shehata also believes that while volunteer work was previously usually in the form of physical assistance, nowadays more volunteers are helping creating projects and strategize with the ECWR.
Dina Hussein, an ECWR volunteer for the past two years and alumni from Cairo University, is a good example.
Hussein helps in many fields including volunteer recruitment and training, project management for sexual harassment, female genital mutilation and research with students.
“The culture of volunteerism has definitely expanded, asserts Hussein, “people now contact the center to volunteer through our official website, through Facebook and over the phone.”
Hussein adds, “Five years ago, there were approximately only 75 volunteers, three-fourth of whom fourth were foreigners. Today our volunteer contact list shows the number of volunteers has escalated to 147.”
Hussein agrees with Shehata’s claim that experts have risen in the sector. “Professionals, mostly in the field of web design and art, such as directors, editors and web designers have brought their skills to video-making, and poster and brochure-making.”
Resala Charity Organization (RCO) has also expanded dramatically. While four years ago the organization had approximately 65,000 volunteers, today the number has increased to more than 100,000, out of whom 20 percent are active participants, dedicating their time for several events.
Mona Samir, from RCO, clarifies that “within the organization active participants have increased in the last few years, and many have volunteered almost every day, especially in distributing clothes, collecting food and tutoring.”
Many volunteers are participating in a more enthusiastic manner bringing students, friends and most importantly their ideas.
Raghda El-Ebrashi, founder and chairperson of Alashanek Ya Balady Association for Sustainable Development (AYBSD), said, “In 2002, AYBSD implemented community development in only one area, Old Cairo, with only 100 volunteers. Today the organization works in nine governorates and has franchises in seven universities in Egypt, with at least 200 members each.”
El-Ebrashi added, “Five years ago, volunteers would dedicate 2-3 hours per week on average. Today, many active participants dedicate more than 6 hours of their time per week.”
“Volunteers started to make use of their skills and education to benefit marginalized groups; such as computer training by computer science graduates, sales skills by marketing graduates, and so on.
Hazem Saleh, project director for Wadi Environmental Science Center (WESC), “This year WESC has up to 350 volunteers registered on the official website who are willing to help.”
“During our first launch of our largest project, the World Environment Day (WED) in 2006, we only had about 20 volunteers. However, this year, according to our online database, more than 100 volunteers, surmounting the event’s capacity, were willing to participate at the WED.”
Saleh adds, “10 years ago, public participation was usually through monetary donations, or at the most, physical participation. Today, many volunteers help with the planning process and actively bring their ideas to the table.”
“There are approximately 35 more skilled volunteers than five years ago, working in logistics, activities, awareness campaigns and bringing their knowledge to the public and to the organization, and often dedicating months of their time. ”
Many skilled volunteers have assisted in the fields of design, new media and video and even taught their skills and techniques to other volunteers.
Sara Rifaat, a WESC volunteer and also a graphic designer and photographer in the Design Frame company, started volunteering with the NGO in 2007 by assisting with outdoor classes and workshops in WED, while she was juggling her time with her university studies.
This year on January she began a monthly short-film and photography series, and also volunteered to publicize the organization through the official website, social media, and posters.
“On a busy week, I dedicate approximately 10 hours per week, and on a less exertive week, I dedicate approximately 3 and half hours per week.”
Rifaat asserts, “Volunteering for WESC is a win/win situation. I get to fuel my passions for new media, while also helping spread awareness on environmental issues throughout Egypt. This new type of skilled volunteering is crucial as it is more beneficial in the long-term.”
“In WESC, there has been a rise in professional volunteers with different degrees such as political science, engineering, new media and so on.”
The United Nations Volunteers (UNV) program which since 1988, in Egypt, with the help of volunteers, has assisted various community development activities carried-out by the UN system, the government, NGOs, bilateral donors and the private sector.
Leticia Troncoso, UNV Program Officer, “Throughout 2009, a total of 70 UNV volunteers were working in Egypt in 11 different sectors,” said Troncoso, “this is definitely an increase from when we first started.”
“UNV volunteers work full-time, have technical expertise and help train volunteers in Egypt,” added Troncoso, “They often dedicate an entire year to volunteer, and occasionally even more.”
Troncoso continued, “Young Egyptians are increasingly becoming aware of the importance of getting involved in the development of their communities.”
“Campaigns such as the ‘Sailing the Nile for the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)’ were successful at mobilizing youth, stakeholders, partners, UN agencies, government of Egypt, donors, academic, international and national NGOs, CSOs and private sector to promote volunteerism to achieve the MDGs,” he said.
However, Troncoso regrets that according to results of the February 2010 Survey of Young People in Egypt, young people, and particularly females, are socially disengaged and only 2 percent are participating in volunteer work.
Although Troncoso applauds the increase in volunteerism, especially with youth, she believes the atmosphere and attitudes towards volunteerism still have a long journey ahead.
Despite their acknowledgment of an attitudinal change and numerical increase in volunteerism in Egypt, especially in the form of expertise, all the organizations agreed that it is still at a premature stage.
Organizations agreed that more volunteers are needed from all levels of society including universities, secondary schools, rural areas, with greater numbers of volunteers dedicating months or years.
