Hands Along the Nile Development Services (HANDS)- 30 Years of Experience in Community Development and Peace Building - US-MENA intercultural exchange and community development in Egypt Home - Hands Along the Nile Development Services (HANDS)- 30 Years of Experience in Community Development and Peace Building - US-MENA intercultural exchange and community development in Egypt

WHO WE ARE

Hands Along the Nile Development Services (HANDS) forges lasting partnerships between Americans and Egyptians in order to increase intercultural understanding and support Egyptians in their efforts to raise the quality of life for the most under-served members of their society. To these ends, HANDS facilitates cultural exchange programs and partners with organizations on the ground to empower disadvantaged Egyptians to raise themselves out of poverty. We work to show the world that, working together across cultures, we can address some of the most daunting challenges we face today. Join us! Together we can bring more dreams to fruition.
OUR CAUSES VIEW ALL →
LATEST EVENTS VIEW ALL →
- December 7
  
  DC-Area Egyptian Benefit Craft Sale
  
  Join HANDS in the DMV area for the chance to purchase handicrafts created by women in Egypt! We will be hosting a craft sale of products made by artisans from the Association for the Protection of the Environment (APE). This is a job skills and educational program for women living and working in the garbage […]
  
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- December 13-14
  
  NYC Egyptian Benefit Craft Sale
  
  Join HANDS in New York City for the chance to purchase handicrafts created by young women in Egypt! All products are made by artisans from the Association for the Protection of the Environment (APE). This is a job skills training and educational program for women living and working in the garbage collecting community in Cairo. […]
  
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LATEST NEWS VIEW ALL →
- HANDS-Sponsored Training Program Changed Marianne’s Life
  - By HANDS
  - On October 4, 2019
  Posted In Uncategorized
  
  In the Moquattam area of Cairo, more than 50,000 zabbaleen, an Arabic word for garbage collectors, survive on sorting and recycling trash from the city. Unfortunately, a lot of children in this community have to drop out of school in order to help their parents collect and sort garbage. In this community, many girls have limited […]
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- Mervat’s Grocery Store: Finding a Means of Support
  - By HANDS
  - On September 5, 2019
  Posted In Uncategorized
  
  Widowed women in Egypt’s villages can face immense challenges in supporting themselves and their families. For some of them, the death of their husband is the first time they have tried to enter the job market. With little education and no formal work experience, the situation can feel hopeless. Mervat, a 48-year-old woman from Upper […]
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- Cotton Candy: A Story of Economic Empowerment
  - By HANDS
  - On August 15, 2019
  Posted In Uncategorized
  
  For many modern Egyptian women, limited access to vocational training and job opportunities is an everyday reality. According to the World Bank in 2018, only 23% of Egyptian women will be able to find formal employment in their lifetimes. Therefore, the opportunity to start a small business can be transformational for women looking to gain […]
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- HANDS Etsy Shop Re-opens Supporting Egypt’s Entrepreneurs
  - By HANDS
  - On August 1, 2019
  Posted In Uncategorized
  
  HANDS is excited to announce the re-launch of our Etsy shop: Gifts From the Nile! The Zabbaleen are a community of garbage collectors, inhabiting some of the poorest corridors of Cairo. Zabbaleen families live entirely on waste, earning a livelihood by collecting and sorting trash. The shop features products made by Zabbaleen women from the […]
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