Current Volunteer Opportunities:

We are looking for U.S. based volunteers to help us with the following projects:

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.

In 2025, 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.

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. We need your help with office work in our DC office, if you are in the area, please tell us about your interests! We are always looking for people who have the following skills or experience in these areas:

    • 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

If you have experience or skills in these areas and are interested in volunteering, please contact us!