The Definitive Guide to Living in the Capital , Cairo , Egypt

Featured image via Egyptian Food Bank

From the break of dawn until the sun goes down, what are the most dominant thoughts that follow us everywhere? Food and Drink! You keep envisioning what your family is preparing in the kitchen, whether it’s your mom’s famous chicken pane or mouthwatering macaroni, drenched in bechamel sauce. In this scorching weather, an icy bottle of Coca Cola or a large glass of refreshing lemon juice is the way to go.

Now, imagine an entire family that does not have the luxury to fantasise such a simple dream, because it cannot afford to buy a fancy menu for Iftar. Living up to their reputation as generous people, Egyptian organisations have established quite a large amount of charity campaigns this year to help provide meals for as many people in need as possible, and to ensure they never go to bed hungry. Apart from donations for food, you will find some other causes mentioned in the second half of the list in commemoration of the holy month of Ramadan. Be sure to check their Facebook pages to learn more about their projects and how you can volunteer or donate.         

Resala

What started as a student activity is now one of the most reputable charity organisations in Egypt and has been spreading goodness and positivity throughout the nation since 1999. It now has more than 60 branches with over 200,000 volunteers a year, covering many diverse causes. Their most trending project is “My Cousin and I Help Strangers”, roughly translated from Arabic. 

Misr El Kheir

A non-profit foundation that receives Zakat, Sadakat, and Crisis funds, according to their Facebook page. These funds are distributed to eligible recipients, invested for a return to spend on different projects, and spent on crises respectively.  Donors can assign their monetary donations to any the five different scopes: Social Solidarity, Education, Health, Scientific Research, and Aspects of life.

Life Makers (Sonna3 Al Hayat)

Egyptian Streets describe them as a voluntary and youth-led organisation that organises several campaigns, one of which is ‘A 1000 Lives’. As you probably deduced from the title, it an initiative which aims to change the lives of 1000 Egyptian families that live below the poverty line.

Egypt’s Kitchen (Matbakh Masr)

12 Cairo-based Rotaract teams joined forces to create this year’s initiative, Matbakh Masr. Their main goal is to cook, pack, and distribute at least 250 meals a day from the 17^th until the 27^th of May. The preparations are held daily in a kitchen at Degla Campus Maadi before the members drive off to Al Warraq to give out the food and drinks. For those who don’t know, Rotaract is an international organisation that focuses on the development of young adults as leaders in their communities and workplaces, with almost 60 clubs in Egypt alone.   

Lebaladna

Founded in 2008, Lebaladna is a social development foundation that aims to emphasise the links that hold different factions of Egyptian society together. Their three main pillars are basic education, youth development, and poverty eradication. Their scope is expanding day by day to accomplish bigger dreams, under the support of Dr Nawal El Degwi. In Ramadan, they work tirelessly from 10 to 5 to prepare meals, supplies, and feasts for those in need.    

Mersal Foundation

Mersal directs its efforts towards one of the most critical causes in our society; health. It, with the help of many doctors and hospitals, provides professional medical services to any patient. Its ultimate goal is to spread awareness about the field of medicine across the Arab world. Many projects are currently in progress, including Mersal Hospital for Children, Mersal’s Tumor Center, Mersal’s Medical Emergency Program, and more.     

Cancer Hospital 57357

Not to sound prejudiced or cliché, this project is objectively one of the best projects that has ever happened in Cairo. Every year, we witness the smiles on the children’s faces that fill our hearts with warmth. Some may say that advertisements can be artificial, but genuine happiness cannot be forced. Even if it is, it’s nice to know that Egypt is helping to cure and prevent cancer.  

Dar El Wafaa

Dar El Wafaa is a complex-to-be for elderly, orphans, and medical services in Gharb Somed, 6^th of October city. Just 15 months ago, it was a piece of barren land that is currently being transformed into something that will serve a much higher purpose. You can contact the NGO, Rawdet Abou Ghaleb, to learn how you can donate via Bank Masr, Ahli United Bank, and other options.     

Law 3andak Dam

Blood donations are as critical in Ramadan as they are anytime throughout the entire year. It’s a free online service that connects blood donors with patients. One of the donors, whose blood type was very rare, mentioned how the organisation reached out to her several times to help save so many lives.

The list goes on and one with other charity organisations, including Man Ahyaha, Orman Charity Association, Educate Me, and Egyptian Food Bank.

Ramadan is only, but once a year, so don’t miss the chance to change someone’s life and bring a smile to their face. One small act of kindness, whether through donating or volunteering, goes a very long way. The most important thing is not to stop giving, no matter the time of year. As a reminder, be sure to check their pages to find out how you can contribute.