Volunteers from the Education Above All (EAA) Foundation were in Cairo last week as part of the Egypt 2025 Volunteer Trip, where they engaged directly with youth beneficiaries from the EAA-supported “Green Visions & Thriving Futures: Empowering Youth for Sustainable Impact” project, implemented in partnership with UNICEF’s Generation Unlimited initiative.
Taking place from 13 to 20 December, this Egypt trip enabled EAA Foundation Volunteers to gain insights into the project’s activities and impact on the ground and exchange knowledge and experiences with local youth beneficiaries. The visit built on the EAA Foundation’s long-standing commitment to service learning and youth leadership development through international volunteer trips across Asia and the Middle East.
The trip provided volunteers with the opportunity to increase their awareness of the lived realities of local youth and how the Green Visions & Thriving Futures project addresses their developmental needs. Implemented across Egypt by the Ministry of Youth and Sports, the project strengthens youth engagement in Environmental action, contributes to greener communities and creates pathways to employment through green skills development and entrepreneurship training.
During the trip, volunteers took part in a four-day interactive workshop with 16 Egyptian youth participants at the Shabab Balad Academy in Cairo, a newly launched facility established by the Egypt Ministry of Youth and Sports. Workshop sessions focused on intercultural dialogue, leadership, critical thinking, and shared learning on environmental action and green entrepreneurship.
The group also participated in a one-day climate action programme on Qursayah Island including a waste clean-up activity, a workshop on transforming collected waste into upcycled sustainable fashion items and a biodiversity walk, which exposed volunteers to the innovation and resilience of the local communities of the Nile.
Commenting on the field visit, Mr. Mana Al-Ansari, Chief Economic Empowerment Officer at the EAA Foundation, said: “Education is the corner stone of development and is considered one of the most powerful tools for enabling young people to respond to the humanitarian, social, environmental challenges and economic uncertainty. Through this project and our volunteer initiatives, we aim to support youth in Egypt in building sustainable futures for themselves and their communities. Their creativity, determination, and willingness to lead inspire us and affirm the importance of investing in green skills and economic empowerment.”
"At UNICEF, we are proud to partner with EAA Foundation under Shabab Balad, bringing together government, the private sector, and civil society to advance Egypt’s Learning-to-Earning agenda. Through this collaboration, we are expanding opportunities for young people to build relevant skills, navigate the transition from education to work, and play an active role in environmental action – contributing to a more inclusive, resilient, and future-ready generation,” said Nathalie Meyers, UNICEF Deputy Representative.
In addition to the service learning programme, EAA Foundation Volunteers also took part in cultural activities designed to deepen their understanding of Egypt’s history, culture and people, including visits to the Giza Pyramids and the Sphinx, the Grand Egyptian Museum, and traditional crafts workshops.
The Egypt 2025 Volunteer Trip reflected EAA Foundation’s continued commitment to supporting youth empowerment, environmental responsiveness, education, and economic opportunity.
For more information, please visit www.educationaboveall.org