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

Last week, we had shared an article about this year’s 2-day Enactus Egypt National Competition and the history of Enactus. Our predictions were filtered down to Enactus Cairo (Cairo University), BUE, and October 6 University. Well, not to brag, but our speculations were spot-on! Yesterday, under the leadership of its president, Karim Amin, Enactus Cairo celebrated its epic victory of the national cup. They presented two beyond amazing projects in a 17-minute presentation to an intimidating and diverse panel of corporate judges and hundreds of audience members, under the theme, “What Lies Beneath; the Ordinary”, at the InterContinental Cairo Citystars.   

Before we talk about the inspirational projects, let’s talk about the presentation for a minute. Apart from the presenters’ passion, the eloquence, and their obvious well-preparedness, the presentation itself was also an eclectic work of art that displayed the efforts of dozens of members in a matter of minutes. Whether it was the visuals, projects, presentation, fundraising, or any other department, the essence of teamwork and community impact was portrayed through the memorable words. It was a reminder about how passion, perseverance, and cooperation can equate to a combination of pride and well-earned success. 

Now we’re ready to talk about their award-winning projects! The presentation was so informative, so forgive us if we don’t include all the details, as there’s only so much we can summarise in a few paragraphs. One thing’s for sure though, every aspect was more impressive than the next.

Firstly, we have Rosie. Through the testimonials, Enactus Cairo shared the heartbreaking stories of various Egyptian women and girls, who suffered the consequences of lacking access to proper sanitary pads. As a result, they were forced to resort to unhygienic alternatives, such as rags, that lead to harmful diseases, including ovarian cancer and the unfortunate increase of unemployment among women and girls respectively.

After countless hours of research, their strenuous efforts and passion eventually guided them to Rosie! To quote the presenters, it’s “A high-quality organic pad, made by women for women.” Intriguingly, the pad is made out of banana fibres that are two-times more absorbent than other alternatives; moreover, it has been tested for absorptivity, bacterial count, and fluid retention, as well as accredited by the Ministry of Health. It was further developed into a zero plastic, 100% organic, and cost-efficient pad that was distributed in Ezbet Al Ahaly Village, and currently expanding into a larger scale project that is growing day-by-day, even reaching the women of Sudan! With the help of El Kheir NGO and other organisations, women were employed on the Rosie pad production process, and distribution channels were amplified.

Secondly, we introduce to you, Retronics. We were shocked to learn, according to the presentation, that 37,000 tons of electronic waste are produced each year. What’s worse, only 5% of this fundamentally harmful amount is recycled, while the rest is either buried or burned, causing ailments such as heart disease and possibly cancer.

Yet, there’s always a silver lining for any adverse situation. Enactus Cairo discovered that e-waste actually pertains more than 14% of the world’s precious metals, including platinum. Utilising the 3 R model (Reduce-Recycle-Reuse), an opportunity was found in Retronics. Throughout the project, they employed hundreds of technical school graduates, who couldn’t find job opportunities. Furthermore, they partnered with companies such as TVET, financed by the government, to provide optimum training sessions and founded E-collect, a website that aims to increase awareness on the harmful effects of electronic waste, collecting 30 tons and counting!    

For any Enactus team, the fulfilment of Enactus’s five main categories of “livelihood assets”, Financial, Social, Natural, Physical, and Human assets are key, and that was evident in this year’s projects, not to mention the UN’s sustainable development goals.

For further information, you can contact the team or check their Facebook page to find out more about their past, present, and upcoming projects. We wish you the best of luck, Enactus Cairo team, as you represent your country in the world cup in just two months! Bring us back the cup and show them that our country will always be capable of global impact and leaving a mark.