The Youth Creative Hub (YCH) in Egypt tries to bridge the gap between education and the labour market. It organised an artistic and cultural day to raise the awareness of youth about climate change and environmental topics, encouraging them to adopt recycling practices.
During the event, the participating youth presented creative ideas to recycle used paper into accessories, homemade chairs, and other stuff.
One of the participants, Kariem Mahros, who is the coordinator of the “Siwa Speaks Green” initiative, said we are all assailants and victims in the crimes committed against the environment.
He explained that climate change does not only affect the Arctic, but rather affects the whole planet’s environment.
He also stressed: “We always find justifications for violence against the environment, and the justification for the destruction of the Earth is the development of the economy.”
He made it clear that when implementing any environmental initiative, they must know the culture of the community.
He said that the catacombs of Kom Ash Shoqafah used to be a waste collection area but this situation changed through awareness campaigns.
The catacombs consist of a series of Alexandrian tombs, statues, and archaeological objects of the Pharaonic funerary cult with Hellenistic and early Imperial Roman influences.
During the event, Mazen, the founder of Egyptian company Loop, said the world cannot give up plastic easily, as it is part of various industries, but the solution is to re-manufacture it.
He explained that through his company, he converts plastic bottles into clothes, explaining that his aim is to provide environmentally-friendly products.
The event was organised in cooperation with the Pharmaceutical Association for Investment (PhAI). The association is a nonprofit business-oriented student organisation, founded in the Faculty of Pharmacy in Cairo University in 2008. It launches four events annually, including PhAI Employment Fair and Youth Creative Hub.
The PhAI adopts youth-to-youth education methods, to invest in youth’s skills and help them through their early career goals.
The PhAI succeeded in preparing more than 2500 students for the market field through PhAI Schools and Chapters events, linking more than 20,000 students with over 100 different companies through employment fairs.
