Young Entrepreneurs Program

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 →
- Fall 2025 Insight Trip
  
  Join us November 7-16th to visit Egypt’s famous sights and get one-of-a-kind insights into our programs by joining our annual Insight Trip. Visit our page to learn more and register today!
  
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- 2025 Fall Benefit Event
  
  Our fall benefit event is an opportunity to celebrate the transformations that have happened in underserved Egyptian communities thanks to your generosity. This year’s Fall Benefit Gala will be held on Thursday, October 16, 2025 at 6:00pm at the Fairfax Country Club in Fairfax, VA. Buy tickets for this event here. Please join HANDS for […]
  
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LATEST NEWS VIEW ALL →
- Hala’s Journey to Success!
  - By HANDS
  - On May 7, 2025
  Posted In Uncategorized
  
  On a verdant stretch of green along the Nile, Hala and her husband eked out a living with his farming earnings. However, on this single income, they struggled to pay their household expenses and the school fees for their three children. Hala was determined to provide her kids with a better life. Despite her limited […]
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- Second Chances: Rami’s Story
  - By HANDS
  - On April 21, 2025
  Posted In Uncategorized
  
  At just 18, Rami took a big risk and opened his own phone repair shop. Unfortunately, his risk did not pay off and the shop failed within the first year. But, Rami would not give up; he spent the next 12 years working for local trades people and struggling to support his family on low-wage […]
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- Weaving a different life: Ragaa’s story
  - By HANDS
  - On August 28, 2024
  Posted In Uncategorized
  
  As the daughter and wife of garbage collectors, Ragaa Bekheit could not imagine life outside of the recycling community where her family resided. Her daily life revolved around the rhythmic routine of trash collection, engaged in sorting and salvaging waste to sustain her family’s livelihood. Lacking much formal education and work experience, Ragaa faced considerable […]
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- Nafusa’s Story of Economic Independence
  - By HANDS
  - On October 25, 2023
  Posted In Uncategorized
  
  In a room with light pink walls, behind her dark sunglasses, Nafusa tirelessly sorts through used garments of different hues and patterns. Nafusa provides for her family and helps disadvantaged members of her community through her small business as a vendor of preowned clothes. Nafusa had long dedicated her time and energy to her secondhand […]
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- Zainab’s Business Development
  - By HANDS
  - On October 25, 2023
  Posted In Uncategorized
  
  Sitting in a room filled with colorful boxes of sweets, Zainab counts her earnings and records them with a blue pen. As a resourceful and ambitious mother providing for five children, she works relentlessly to develop her small roadside grocery store. She had initially lacked the funds to grow her business. It was only after […]
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