Volunteer Opportunities in Egypt
Technical Assistance Programs:
HANDS relies on members of its community to make its programs successful. Some of our programs require the assistance of individuals who have special training and experience. These are especially important for some of our healthcare initiatives.
If you have medical training, please consider volunteering your time with our Medical Mission to Egypt and/or our work with Horus Hospital or one of our partner hospitals run by the Synod of the Nile. Right now, there are no active Medical Mission trips to Egypt. Please check this page or sign up for our newsletter and social media to receive announcements about specific programs and medical volunteer needs we will have in the future.
Current Opportunities:
Doctors of various specialties and experienced nurses of different types are sought to spend between 1-3 months or longer in one of our partner hospitals run by the Synod of the Nile Hospital (American Hospital of Tanta or Cairo Hospital). Please contact us if you are interested in volunteering at these locations at medmission@handsalongthenile.org.
Training for Egyptian Female Artisans
Young Entrepreneurs Program (YEP) began in 2009 as a training and exchange program for aspiring Egyptian young entrepreneurs, with a special focus on those with disabilities or women engaged in craft production. The program has provided critical support through professional workshops, networking events, and seminars led by American experts from the private sector, government, and civil society. Over the years, we have helped almost 300 young Egyptians establish their own small businesses.
We will be starting the next phase of this project, focused on women from Upper Egypt who are engaged in craft production. In this phase, we will train 40 women from several governorates, such as Minya and Beni Suef in topics such as craft design, craft trade, small business development and management, and financial management for craft-based small businesses, etc. In addition to local training, we hope to connect them online with US based experts. We are currently seeking volunteers with relevant experience to serve as trainers in our 2-3 hour long online training sessions. If you have expertise in craft design, financial management, marketing and sales of crafts, quality assurance, or small business development, and are interested in contributing to this impactful initiative, please contact us at programs@handsalongthenile.org to learn more about how you can get involved.
Volunteer Opportunities in the US
Even if you cannot travel to Egypt, there are many ways to help:
Host a “Crafts of Cairo” Sale in Your Community
The Association for the Protection of the Environment (APE) (Located in Moquattam) is a literacy and job-skills training center for girls and young women from the garbage collector community in Cairo. Women learn to weave, quilt and recycle paper, as well as to read and write, empowering them to support their families and have a voice in their communities. HANDS organizes “Crafts of Cairo” sales of their handicrafts in America, sending the income to APE to support their training programs. Throughout the year, numerous APE sales take place in communities across the US.
A group of volunteers holds a three-day-long sale in New York City every December, which attracts hundreds of people searching for meaningful, thought-provoking gifts for the winter holidays.
Hosting a “Crafts of Cairo” sale is an excellent and fun opportunity for you to promote knowledge of Egypt among Americans. Would you like to organize one in your city, neighborhood, or home? Please contact us to learn more.
Lend Your Expertise to HANDS’ Office in Washington, D.C.
We are always looking for individuals to help us accomplish our missions more efficiently. If you have any of the skills listed below, please tell us about your interests. You may also download volunteer application form. Please fill out the application and send it to HANDS using the form below. We are always looking for people who have the following skills or experience in these areas:
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- Data entry
- Preparing mailings
- Accounting
- Proposal writing
- IT issues
- Translation – Arabic/English speakers are needed to help us bridge the language barrier during our exchange events
- Program support – particularly with the American-Egyptian Dialogue or organizing and hosting special events that promote understanding of the Middle East
To get involved, please download the volunteer interest application, and email your completed form to info@handsalongthenile.org.