Empowerment through Knowledge

Women-to-WorkThe Women-to-Work (W2W) program provides Egyptian women with the knowledge and skills they need to unlock opportunities and achieve their full economic potential.

OVERVIEW

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Table of Contents

About Us 4Our Approach 6Innovation:

Our Programs 8• LifeSkills 10

ImpactStory:“Beeha”—ThePathtoActiveCitizenship 10ImpactStory:“BeYourself”—OpeningMinds,ChangingLives 12

• VocationalTraining 14ImpactStory:DairyProductioninNag’eYacoub,Sohag 14

• SocialInnovationandEntrepreneurship 16ImpactStory:TheSocialInnovationHub 16ImpactStory:OpenInnovationwithYomken.com 18

• CommunityDevelopment 20ImpactStory:EnvironmentalAwarenesswithAinEl-Bee’ah 20

Collaboration Our Partners 22Our Achievements 24Our Aims 26

The Women-to-Work (W2W) Project is a programdedicated to providing Egyptian women with theknowledgeandskillstheyneedtounlockopportunitiesand achieve their full economic potential. Launchedin2014,W2Wisanationwideprojectdevelopedandimplemented by theWomen Business DevelopmentCentre (WBDC) under the auspices of the NationalCouncil for Women (NCW) as part of the national“TrainingforEmployment”initiative.

Egypt faces considerable challenges on its road to achieving sustainableeconomicandsocialdevelopment.Economic,financialandfoodcrises,andtheiraccompanyingsocialandpoliticalimpactsoverthepastfewyearshaveplacedunduestressonthosebelowthepovertyline,particularlyintheruralareasofUpperEgypt.

Recentyearshavealsowitnessedariseinunemployment,especiallyamongyoungpeople,with theoverallunemployment rate rising toabout13.3%—about39%amongyoungpeopleand24.2%amongfemales in2013/2014.Sectors such as tourism that enjoyed healthy growth and could absorblarge numbers of young jobseekers have stagnated—and in many casescontracted—becauseofinsecurityanddeclininginvestmentrates.

ABOUT US

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The Women-to-Work program was conceived to fill the gap between

existing skills and market requirements. It aims not only to enhance women’s vocational, technical and entrepreneurial skills but also to equip them with

the knowledge necessary to identify, create and

nurture their own opportunities.

OUR APPROACH

The UNDP’s 2015 Human Development Report identified the concept of“work” as intrinsic for human development.Work is defined as a conceptbroader thansimplyemploymentor jobsandembracesmanyoccupationsthatarevitaltohumandevelopmentbutareoftendismissedasunimportant:unpaidcarework,voluntarywork,creativeoccupationssuchaswritingorart,amongothers.

Butjustasworkisvitalforhumandevelopment,sotooishumandevelopmentcriticalforbetterwork.Improvedknowledgethattranslatestotangibleskillsandtoolsunlocksawealthofopportunitiesforexistingandpotentialworkers.Knowledge fosters innovation and equips workers to find solutions to theproblems within their communities and environments as well as providingthemwithavoiceandasenseofaccomplishment.

Despitemarkedprogress on gender equality andwomen’s empowerment,Egyptianwomenstillfaceconsiderablebarriersinenteringthelabormarket.Statistics show that the share ofwomen inwage employment in the non-agriculturalsectorduring2012/2013reachedabout19.2%ofthetotalwageearnersatthenationallevel.Thisisconsideredalowratiocomparedtotheinternational level of around 40% in 2012. In many cases, women—evenuniversitygraduates—simplydonothavetheskillstheyneedtofindfulfillingwork.

TheWomen-to-Workprogramwasconceivedtofillthisgap.Itaimsnotonlytoenhancewomen’svocational,technicalandentrepreneurialskillsbutalsotoequipthemwiththeknowledgenecessarytoidentify,createandnurturetheirownopportunities.

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Today, knowledge is a key driver for development and the shift to aknowledge-basedeconomy iscreatingnewchallenges for socio-economicdevelopment. Knowledge combines information coupled with experience,context,interpretationandreflectionofcommunitiesofpractice.

W2W uses a knowledge-based development approach where existingknowledgewithinthedevelopmentprocessisthebasisfordevelopingnewopportunitiesandexpandingtheworldofworkavailabletowomen.Wedonotsimplywanttoteachwomenabasicskillforincomegeneration,wewantthemtobeable to identifyproblemswithin theircommunitiesanddevelopeconomicallyviablesolutionstotheseproblems.Wewanttoempowerthemthroughknowledge.

Ourapproachtocuratinganddisseminatingknowledgeisbasedonthreekeytenets:Innovation,Collaboration,andExperience.

INNOVATION

Openingupnon-traditionaloccupationsandopportunitiesto

women.

COLLABORATION

Creatingsynergisticpartnershipswith

NGOs,governmentandtheprivatesector.

EXPERIENCE

CapitalizingonandsharingtheWBDC’syearsofexperience

intraininganddevelopment.

KNOWLEDGE

Empowerment through Knowledge 7

W2W has developed a series of innovative training modules that can beadaptedtoaddressdistinctneedswithineachcommunityandtargetgroup.

Weencourageknowledge-basedlearningdesignedtobuildonparticipants’existing skills and expand their horizon of opportunity. Our programs areorganizedaroundfourkeythemes:

There are countless programs available that provide training on specificskills.Once the trainingsessionends,however, traineeshaveno ideahowtoturntheirnewlyacquiredskillsintobusinessopportunities.W2Wtrainingprogramsoffersomethingdifferent:acompletepackageofskillswithineachtrainingmoduletomakesurethatlearnersacquiretheentrepreneurialknow-howneededtomakegooduseoutoftheirtechnicalskills,whetherbystartingtheir own business, getting a better job, or beingmore active within theircommunities.W2Wcurrentlyserveswomenwhofallintooneofthefollowingthreebroadcategories:

INNOVATION: OUR PROGRAMS

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W2W’sprimarytargetgroupisunemployedandmarginalized

womenabovetheageof18,whoareseekingincome-generating

opportunitieswhetherhome-basedoraspart

ofthejobmarket.

Coursesavailableforthistargetgroup

providebasicentrepreneurialandlifeskillscoupledwithinnovativevocationaltrainingdesignedtounlockopportunities

andprovidethewomenwiththecapacitytoevaluateoptionsavailabletothem.

MARGINALIZED URBAN AND RURAL

WOMEN

Recentgraduatesoftenlacktheknow-howtosuccessfullynegotiatethepresent-dayjobmarketandarerarely

equippedtolaunchtheirownentrepreneurialactivities.W2Wseeks

toprovidethemwiththetoolsthatallowthemtoleveragetheireducation,

respondtomarketneedsandadvance

theircareers.

RECENT GRADUATES

W2Walsoseekstoempowerwomen

interestedinservingtheircommunitieswhetheraspartofcommunitydevelopment

associations,charitableorganizationsorlocal

government.W2W’saimwiththistargetgroupistoprovidethemwiththeskilltoengagewiththeircommunities,solveproblemsandactasrolemodelsforfuture

generations.

CIVIL SOCIETY LEADERS AND

ORGANIZATIONS

Empowerment through Knowledge 9

LIFE SKILLSLifeskillsmodulesaimtoprovidelearnerswithbasicskillstohelpthemdealeffectivelywiththechallengesthatfacethemineverydaylifeandtohelpthembecomemoreactivewithintheirfamiliesandcommunities.Courses offered include communication and job skills and basicentrepreneurshipaswellashowtobecomeproductive,activecitizens.

Impact Story:“Beeha”—The Path to Active Citizenship

A hairdresser, a spice shop, an English-languagelearningcentre,andaplantoimprovethesafetyofadangeroustraincrossing—thesearejustafewoftheprojects learnerscameupwithafterattendingone of W2W’s project development and designworkshops.

Empoweringwomenoftenmuststartatalevelmorebasicthanprovidingthemwithtechnicalskills.Teachingthemtoseworbakeiseasybuttheyrarelyhave theknow-how to turn thatskill intoaviableproject.W2Woffersseveraltrainingmodulesthatbuildwomen’ssoftskills,providingthemwith the tools theyneed to identifyproblemsandopportunities,developsolutions,planacourseofactionand followthroughon theirgoals. These skills can be used in every aspect of their lives—fromraisingtheirchildrenandmanagingtheirhouseholdstostartingtheirownbusinessesandgettinginvolvedinlocalgovernment.

In 2014, W2W launched the “Beeha” initiative, a series of projectdevelopment and design workshops held for women aged 18–30in collaboration with the Industrial Training Council (ITC), Sting forConsultancy andDesignand localCDAs. Toput thewomenat ease,theworkshopswereheld in familiarsurroundings in thegirls’clubsatthelocalyouthcentres.Thetrainingmethodologywasparticipatoryandinformal to encourage self-discovery and allow the creative exchangeof ideasandexperiences.Tobeginwith, thewomenwereresistant totheapproach.Somehadreceivedprevioustrainingandwereexpecting

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arigidclassroomsettingusingtraditionalteachingmethods.Soonhowever,thanksto the facilitators’ experience, even themost reluctant learners loosened up andthrew themselves wholeheartedly intothe discussion. Thematerial included anintroduction to project design elements,howtounderstandsocietyanditsneeds,andhowtodesignaneconomicallyviableproject in response to those needs. Attheendoftheworkshop,learnersformedteams and presented sample projects.This collaborative approach was in itselfveryvaluable to thewomenwho learnedtowork in teams andmake themost ofeachother’sskills.

The workshops were highly successfulandpromptedmanyofthewomentoaskforfurthertrainingtobecometrainers themselves and help others acquire similar skills. The coursehelpedthemunderstandtheneedsoftheircommunitiesandwhiletheywere interested in launching income-generating projects, they alsobecamepassionateabout theneed for theirprojects tohavea socialdimension.Someevenconsideredrunningforlocalgovernmentseats.Attheendofthecourse,thewomenwerebrimmingwithideas,optimism,andbestofall,confidenceintheirabilitytogetthingsdone.

A lot of projects fail because they don’t take market

factors and real costs into account. W2W taught us

how to conduct a feasibility study for our idea. We

learnt how to plan each step and understand our market and the risks and benefits associated with our projects. Now, we’re confident we can make

a success of our quail cultivation business. We

have all the tools.

Nagla,W2W Beneficiary,

Sohag

Empowerment through Knowledge 11

Impact Story:“Be Yourself”—Opening Minds, Changing Lives

InMarch of 2016, women from around theworldgatheredattheBibliothecaAlexandrinatotelltheirstories and share their visions for changing theworld. The conference, titled “Women GatheringforChange”, featuredarichvarietyofparticipantsand speakers addressing areas such as healthand nutrition, sustainable environments, and thepromotion of social rights for all. Over the course of the conference,thereweremanystoriesofcompassionandbraverybutoneofthemostinspiringmomentscamewhenagroupoffiveEgyptianwomentookthestageandtoldtheirstory.

Thewomenhadbeenamongagroupof80participantsinaW2WtrainingprogramheldincollaborationwiththeHumanFoundation,anEgyptianNGOthathelpspeopleliveuptotheirpotentialandcontributepositivelyto their human and natural environments. The training sequencewastitled“BeYourself”,andwascomposedoftwomodules,“BeYourself,BeHappy I & II”, followedby anoptionalmodule called “DiscoveringYourInnerChild.”

Zeinabspokefirst,describingtheeffectof“BeYourself”onherlife,“Thecoursegaveme innerpeace; I letgoofall thenegativeemotionsthatwereholdingmeback.Itgavemetheabilitytodealwithmanysituationsinmylifeandtodealwithotherspositively.”Thecourseshadaprofoundeffect on all the participants, changing the quality of their lives andallowingthemtogrowspirituallyandmentally.

Five of the women were inspired to search for ways to apply theirnewly foundskills andpasson their knowledgebybecoming trainersthemselves. As part of their certification, they were required toparticipateinapracticalapplicationoftheirskills.Atthetime,theHumanFoundation and W2W were not offering any courses where the newtrainerscouldapplytheirskills.Thewomenrefusedtostayidle,however,andindependentlydevelopedaninitiativetoapplytheirnewlyacquiredskillsbyworkingwithagroupofspecialneedschildrenincooperationwiththeSpecialOlympicsEgypt.

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TheW2Wsupportedtheinitiativeanditwasa resounding success on several levels:thechildrenstartedtoexpressthemselvesthrough art, becoming less withdrawnandmorecapableofengagingwith theirparentsandwiththeworldaroundthem;and the trainers acquired confidence intheirabilitiestopositivelychangethelivesofothers.“Whenwestartedworkwiththechildren,Iwasscared,”describedMarwa,“butIdiscoveredthatallthechildrenneedisunconditionalloveandsecurity.Atfirst,theywerewary andwithdrawn but, littlebylittle,thecametotrustus.Theyblossomedinfrontofoureyes.”

Thefivewomensuccessfullycompleted their trainingcertificationandhavecontinuedtoworkwiththeHumanFoundation,deliveringtrainingboth to special needs children as well as to other potential trainers.ThankstotheopportunitiesprovidedbytheW2W,thesewomenhavenotonlysucceededinchangingtheirownlives,buttheyarealsohavingaprofoundpositiveimpactonthelivesofothers.

Be Yourself helped the women understand that

they have choices in life and that they can play different roles in society. It provided them with self-awareness

and confidence in their abilities.

Manal Helal,Trainer,

The Human Foundation

Empowerment through Knowledge 13

VOCATIONAL TRAINING W2Woffers awide variety of vocational training courses designed toequiplearnerswithtechnicalskillsthatmakethemostoftheirexistingknowledgeandenvironment.Weconstantlyupdateourcourseofferingstoreflectmarketneedsandhighlightnon-traditionalcareerpathsforourlearners.

Our courses also aim to provide learners with an understanding ofbusiness planning skills and sales and marketing strategies to helpthemmaximizetheusefulnessofacquiredvocationalskills.Fromagri-business,suchasdairyproductionandmushroomcultivation,totextileandleatherworkcraftsandeducationalservices,ourvocationaltrainingcourseshavehadtangibleimpactonourlearners’economicsituationsandhaveunlockedawealthofopportunitiesforthem.

Impact Story:Dairy Production in Nag’e Yacoub, Sohag

ThewomenofNag’eYacoub,atypicalsmallvillageinSohag,areusedtomakingthemostoftheresourcesavailabletothem.Iftheyraisepoultry,theytrytosellsomeoftheeggs;iftheyplantvegetables,theysetupasmallmarketstall;iftheyownabuffalo,theymakecheesefromitsmilkandselltotheirneighbors.Theinitiativesaremodestbutthewomenareindustriousandenthusiastic.

Cheese making is one of the more successful initiatives. Like manywomeninUpperEgypt,thewomenregularlyproduceatraditionaltypeof white cheese in earthenware pots and sell what they didn’t needfortheirfamilies. TheW2Wprogram,togetherwiththeNag’eYacoubCommunityDevelopmentAssociation(CDA),identifiedanopportunitytobuildonthewomen’straditionalknowledgeandhelpthemexpandtheirproductrangeandraisetheirincomefromcheesemaking.

In November 2015, theW2W program in cooperation with the Nag’eYacoubCDAandtheNCW’slocalbranchoffice,organizedaworkshopondairyproduction foragroupoffifteenwomenfromNag’eYacoub.

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Over a three-week period, the womenlearnttousemodernequipment,suchassimplechurnersandseparators,tomakeavarietyofdairyproducts.Theworkshopalso included sessions on packaging,marketingandsalesandwasfollowedbya product exhibition for local dignitariesandresidents.

The training program had immediateimpact:“Istartedworkrightafterthesession.IhavemyownbuffalosoIhaveplentyofmilk.Before,Imadeonlyonekindofcheeseandittookthreedaystoproduceabatch.NowthatIusemechanicalseparatorsandchuners,theprocessismuchmoreefficient.Ialsolearnttomakedifferentproducts:yoghurt, ricepudding, full-fatcheese,cottagecheese,whitecheese.MyproductsarebetterqualityandIcanchargehigherpricesforthem.MybuffaloismakingmealotmoremoneynowthanwhenIwasjustmakingourtraditionalwhitecheese,”saysSamiaAziz,oneoftheworkshopparticipants.ManalAbuDeif,asecondparticipant,adds,“Mycustomersprefermyproductsbecause they trust thequalityandthecleanlinessofmyoperation.I’mevenmakingicecreaminsummer—thatsellsreallywell.Before,weusedtobuyexpensivebrandsforourchildrenandwecouldn’tbesureof thequality.Theyoghurt Imake iscleanandhealthy.Alltheneighborhoodchildreneatit.”

Samiahasplansforthefuture.Rightnow,shecan’taffordaseparatorandmustsendthemilkouttobeseparated.Shewantstoexpandherbusinessandbuyherownequipment.ThankstoW2W,shehastheskillssheneedstorealizeherentrepreneurialdreams.

I’m getting so much more benefit from the milk from

my buffalo now that I’m using the methods I learnt

during the workshop.

Samia,W2W Beneficiary,

Nag’e Yacoub

Empowerment through Knowledge 15

SOCIAL INNOVATION AND ENTREPRENEURSHIPW2W is committed to driving social innovation and entrepreneurshipamongwomen.Wedonotsimplywanttoteachwomenabasicskillforincomegeneration,wewanttohelpthembecomeleadersabletoidentifyproblemswithintheircommunitiesanddevelopinnovative,economicallyviablesolutions.

Impact Story:The Social Innovation Hub

“My university studies were completely unrelatedto the requirements of the job market. We onlystudied the basics—we should’ve studied moreprogramming;morelanguages.Andallthejobsaregoingtomen;nobodywantswomenprogrammers”says Demiana Rushdy, a computer sciencegraduatefromMinyaUniversity.SarahIbrahim,anelectrical engineer fromMenoufiya, agrees, “Everythingwe studied atuniversitywasawasteoftime.Wehadnopracticaltraining;everythingwastheoretical.Whenwegraduated,wewerenotqualifiedtoapplyforanyjobs.”

DemianaandSaraharetworecentgraduateswhohavebenefittedfromtheAspireWomanSocialInnovationHub(SIH).LaunchedbyMicrosoftin2015incollaborationwithW2W,UNDPandtheMinistryofYouthandSports,theSIHaimstohelpclosethegendergapintechnologyjobsbyprovidingcomputerscienceandentrepreneurialtrainingfor1000youngwomen.

Thefirst roundof theSIHwasheld inCairowith20younggraduatesparticipating. Training included a variety of technical topics such asdeveloping universal Windows apps and an introduction to industrytrendssuchasBigDataandMachineLearning.Theyoungwomenalsolearnthowtodevelopideasthatrespondtocommunityormarketneedsand how to take those ideas tomarket. At the end of theworkshop,

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the learners teamed up to develop appsaddressingsocietalchallenges.

“Inthelastfewyears,wehavewitnessedmany car accidents leading to fatalities.I have friends who have been involvedin car accidents. This made me start tothinkabouthow toapplywhatwe learnt[at SIH] to prevent this,” says Asmaa,a communications and electronicsgraduate.AsmaaworkedwithherteamtodevelopEl7a2ny,asolutionwhichaimstosavelivesandoptimizetheemergencyresponsetimeincaseofroadaccidents.Theirsolutioncompetedwith4otherappsandwon2ndplace.“Everymomentintheprogramwasagift.Ilearnedhowtocodeandhowtobuildaprofessionalappfromscratch,”saysAsmaawhoisnowworkingwithherteamtotaketheapptomarketwiththehelpoftheMicrosoftmentorshipprogram.SheisalsoworkingasanengineeratVodafoneEgypt,a job thatwouldneverhavebeenavailable toherwithouttheskillsshegainedatSIH.

“The Microsoft Social Innovation hub was the spark that made meaimhigherandachievemore;toleavemyownimprintontheworldbycreating and using my technical talents,” says Ghaithaa, a computerscienceengineer,whoimmigratedtoEgyptfromSyriathreeyearsago.AgraduateofHelwanUniversity,Ghaithaafocusedherfinalprojectoncreatingasolutiontoteachkidsaboutelectronicsinafun,interactiveandsafeway.“Whenyoubuildthecapacityofachildyoubuildthecapacityofthecommunity.”HerSIHproject,akitcalledEEK–EasyElectronicsforKids,wentontowin2ndplaceattheMadeinEgyptcompetitionhostedbytheIEEE.Ghaithaaisnowinvestingallhereffortsinthesolutiontoprepareforthelaunchofherownbusiness.

ThecollaborationbetweenW2WandMicrosoftwashighlysuccessful,withW2WfacilitatingaccesstoastrongpooloftalentedyoungwomenfromallaroundEgypt.ForAsmaa,Ghaithaa,Demiana,Sarah,andalltheotheryoungwomenwhoattendedRound1of theSIH, theworldhasexpanded.Todaytheyhaveopportunities thatwouldneverhavebeenavailabletothemotherwise.

I learnt how to work in a team and how to present

my ideas professionally and with confidence to a roomful

of people.

Sarah,W2W Beneficiary,

Menoufiya

Empowerment through Knowledge 17

Impact Story:Open Innovation with Yomken.com

The idea behind Yomken.com is simple: Use anopen innovation platform to connect low-techand informalmicro-andsmallenterprises (MSEs)with problem solvers who can find solutions forthe MSE’s technological challenges and withpotentialcustomerswhoarelookingforinnovativeproducts or services. These challenges can varyfromcreatingnewdesignsfortraditionalcraftstooptimizingvegetablesortingprocessesanddevelopingalow-techwaterfiltrationsystemforanNGOinSohag.

ThepartnershipbetweenYomken.comandW2Wisaperfectexampleofpublic-privatesynergy.ThegreatestchallengefacingYomken.comisgettingtheirmessageacrosstoMSEsorNGOswaryof theunfamiliarprocess.ThankstotheexcellenttrackrecordofNCWbranchofficesinthegovernorates,grassrootsdevelopmentpractitionershaveconfidenceinNCW-backedprograms,andparticularlyintheW2Wprogram.“Alotof thegroundworkwasalreadycovered,”saysTamerTaha,CEOandfounderofYomken.com,“NGOstrust theNCW,sotheytrustedusaswell.”W2Wprovided the Yomken.com teamwith access to potentialbeneficiaries in an atmosphere that allowed the women to overcometheirprejudicesandapproachtheconceptwithanopenmind.Inreturn,Yomken.comintroducedthewomentotheconceptofinnovation,akeytenetintheW2Wapproachtodevelopment.

Yomken.comandW2Wheldaseriesof“IdeationWorkshops”inSohag,AswanandPortSaid.Eachworkshopwasattendedby25womenfromavarietyofbackgrounds.Theobjectiveoftheworkshopwastwo-fold:help the learners understand how innovation can improve their lives,andgenerate ideas forchallengestobe includedontheYomken.complatform.Thefirstpartoftheworkshopwasdedicatedtoexplainingtheconceptof“innovation”usingreal-worldexamples.Thenextstepwastoteachthelearnershowtoanalyzetheiractivities,establishprioritiesandidentifytheproblemsthatcanbesolved.Formanylearners,thiswasarevelation.Theideathattherecouldbesolutionstoissuesthattheyhadneverevenidentifiedasproblemsbutratherasrealitieswasexciting.

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Oneofthemostinterestingchallengestocome out of the Ideation Workshops inSohag led to the development of a low-tech, low-cost water filtration system.“The Yomken.com site fascinated me.I looked through all the challenges andwasamazedat the ingenuityof someofthe solutions,” says Christina Makeen,manager of the Atfeeh Community Careand Farmer Development Association,“At first, I thought our problem was toodifficulttosolvebutthenIfiguredwedidn’thaveanythingtoloseandIpostedthechallenge.Weusegroundwaterwhichissoimpurethatitcompletelyclogsupregularfiltrationsystems.Weneededsomekindofpre-filtrationsolution.Ipostedthechallengenotexpectinganyresponse.Afewmonthslater,Iwasamazedtoreceiveacallsayingasolutionhadbeenfound.”

Anengineeringstudent fromTantadevelopeda low-costpre-filtrationsystemusingplasticwaterbottlesandacombinationofpebbles,gritandsand.ThechallengehadbeensponsoredbytheAcademyofScientificresearchwhichprovidedasmallfinancialrewardandthefundsforthestudenttotraveltoSohagandtrainthewomenonhowtomakeandusethesimple, low-cost system. Inawin-winscenario,Yomken.comandW2Wmade it possible for scientific research tomeshwith real-worldproblemsandprovideaninventivesolutionthatperfectlyillustratesthepowerofcollaborationandinnovation.

The solution to our problem was so simple but so

effective. It was exciting to see how scientific research

can connect with the real world and improve our lives

Ne’ema,W2W Beneficiary,

Atfeeh

Empowerment through Knowledge 19

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENTW2W aims to change women’s perception of the value of theirenvironment.Simpleenvironmentalmanagementprojectsnotonlyaddvalue to learners’ communities but can also provide non-traditionalentrepreneurship opportunities. W2W offers a series of innovativecoursesdesigned topromoteenvironmentalawarenessand introduceenvironmentalentrepreneurshipopportunities.

AinEl-Bee’ahisacooperativecommunitydevelopmentassociationthataims to change society’s cultural perception of environmental issuessuchassolidwastemanagementandrecycling.

Impact Story:Environmental Awareness with Ain El-Bee’ah

AinEl-Bee’ahbelieves thatabetterunderstandingof theenvironmentcanleadtoimprovedphysicalandemotionalwell-beingandhigherlivingstandards,particularlyinlow-incomeareas.

In 2015, Ain El-Bee’ah established an environmental complex in theKotsika area of Helwan, an impoverished, highly polluted industrialsuburb of Cairo. Located in a former garbage dump, the complexis dotted with colorful furniture made from recycled car tires and oildrums, a welcoming oasis of greenery in a neighborhood starved ofcommunityspaces.Activitiesat thecomplex targetyouthandwomenand illustrate the enormous economic potential of environmentalresource management: a garbage separation conveyor belt, a solidwastecompressionsystem,abiogassystem,anorganiccompostunit,asolar-poweredlightingunit,androofcultivationareasusingaquaponicandhydroponictechnologies.AinEl-Bee’ahalsoundertakescommunityoutreachinitiativestoencouragegarbageseparationatsourceandraiseenvironmentalawareness.

OneofAinEl-Bee’ah’sgoalsistopropagateitsphilosophyalloverEgyptand they found theperfectpartner in theW2Wprogram. Small-scalerecyclingand roofcultivation initiativescanprovide innovative incomegenerating activities for women while also benefitting the community

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andtheenvironment.IncooperationwithAin El-Bee’ah, W2W developed a seriesof week-long workshops on solid wasteseparation and recycling, composting,biogasproductionandrooftopgardening.Held infourgovernorates(Sohag,Minya,Sharkiya,andQalioubiya), theaimof theworkshopswastwo-fold:providewomenwithincome-generatingopportunitiesandbuild the environmental awareness oflearnerstoactassustainabilityambassadorsintheircommunities.

Once the Kotsika environmental complex proved successful, W2WcollaboratedonceagainwithAinEl-Bee’ahonan innovative initiative:day-long environmental camps that take the complex initiative on theroadtocommunitiesthroughoutthecountry.ThankstothegrassrootsreachoftheNCWandtheW2Wprogram,theenvironmentalcampsheldin Sohag, Assiut,Minya, Fayoum, Kafr El-Sheikh and Beheirawere aresounding success. Not only were the participants enthusiastic andinterested,buttheeventswerealsosuccessfulinraisingtheawarenessofgovernorate-leveldecisionmakersontheimportanceandpotentialofenvironmentalprojectsandwastemanagement.

ThedynamicpartnershipbetweenAinEl-Bee’ahandtheW2Wprogramhas created exciting and innovative opportunities for communitydevelopment through environmental awareness and entrepreneurship.Today,plansareintheworksforseveralmoreenvironmentalcomplexes.HalfanacreoflandnexttotheBeheiramunicipaldumphasbeenallocatedfor an environmental complex with an accompanying separation-at-source campaign encompassing 22,000 households. Workplans forsimilarprojectsarealsointhepipelineforMinyaandFayoumwithothergovernoratessoontofollow.

The W2W program and the NCW have the advantage of being able to bring together

all the stakeholders to get things done.

Ahmed Mo’awad,Chief Executive Officer,

Ain El-Bee’ah

Empowerment through Knowledge 21

OUR PARTNERSW2Wboastsafar-reachingnetworkofpartnersthatbuildsontheWBDC’sandtheNCW’shistoryofactiveinvolvementatalllevelsofthedevelopmentprocess,fromgovernmentagenciesandmulti-lateraldonoragenciestosmallgrassrootscommunityserviceassociationsandtheprivatesector.

Community Service AssociationsThankstotheexcellenttrackrecordofNCWbranchoffices,grassrootsdevelopmentpractitionershaveconfidenceinNCW-backedprograms.This eliminates the need for extensive groundwork and trust-buildinginitiatives, whether to identify training needs or to deliver trainingprograms.CSAsfrequentlypinpointtrainingneedsandsubmitproposalsto theWBDC through their regional NCW office. Similarly, CSAs caneasilyidentifysuitablecandidatesforW2Wprogramsimplementedwithotherpartners.

Non-governmental OrganizationsW2Whasestablisheditselfasthego-topartnerorganizationforNGOsseekingtoextendtheiroutreachonanational level.Demonstrating itsflexibility,W2Whasformedsuccessfulpartnershipswithorganizationsranging fromYomken.com, an on-line innovation support platform, toAinEl-Bee’ah,anenvironmentalcooperative,andTerous,ahigh-profile,nationalNGO.

COLLABORATION

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Private Sector EntitiesMany private sector entities and corporations have initiated CSRprograms.W2W’scollaborationwithMicrosoftonthehighlysuccessfulSocial InnovationHubdemonstratesthesynergypossiblewhenpublicandprivatesectorpartnerssharethesamedevelopmentvision.

Government AgenciesW2Wliaiseswithmanygovernmententitiesbothatanationalandalocalgovernment levelprovidinga vital linkbetweengovernment agencies,civilsocietyandtheprivatesectorandensuringseamlessimplementationoftrainingprograms.

Donor AgenciesW2W has successfully implemented projects in cooperation with anumberofdonoragenciesincludingUNWomen,UNDP,USAID,JICA,theSpanishCooperationAgencyforInternationalDevelopmentandtheItalianDevelopmentCooperation.

Empowerment through Knowledge 23

OUR ACHIEVEMENTS TheW2WprogramprovidestransformativetrainingexperiencesforwomenalloverEgyptthankstotheformidableexperienceandsupportoftheNationalCouncil of Women (NCW) and theWomen Business Development Centre(WBDC).

The National Council of WomenEstablished by Presidential Decree in 2000, the National Council ofWomen(NCW)seekstoempowerwomenandchampiontheirrighttobeactiveandproductivecitizens.Inadditiontoadvocacyforwomen’srightsat thenational level,NCWprojects includetheWomen’sOmbudsmanOffice (present in all 27 governorates), a country-wide campaign toprovide every Egyptian womanwith a national ID number, a nationalprogram for illiteracy eradication among women, Equal OpportunityOffices in all ministries, and many other national initiatives targetingwomen’swelfare. TheNCW also supports projects to assist women-headedhouseholdsin73villagesin21governorates,andprogramsofdevelopingthePoorestVillagesincooperationwiththegovernment.

The Women Business Development CentreTheWomenBusinessDevelopmentCentre(WBDC)wasestablishedin2002toimplementtheNCW’smandatefortheeconomicempowermentof women. The centre is ranked by the OECD as one of the leadingproviders of business development support services for women intheMENA region.Since its establishment, theWBDChascarriedoutnumeroushigh-impact activities in areas ranging from ICT, vocationalandentrepreneurshiptrainingforSMEsandnewgraduatestosoftskillsandcapacitybuildingforgovernmentagenciesandyouthgroups.

Women-to-WorkTheWomen-To-Work (W2W)programwas launchedearly 2014whentheWBDCsignedaCooperationAgreementwiththeIndustrialTrainingCouncil (ITC) to empower and encourage women to play a moreproactiveroleintheeconomy.Sinceitsinception,theWomen-to-Workprogramisproudtohavereachedover2500womenthroughoutEgyptusing its innovative approach of empowerment through knowledge.ThankstotheW2W’spioneeringcollaborativemodelandtheexperienceanddedicationofitsstaff,todaythesewomenhavethepowertomakestrategicchoicesintheirlives.Theynotonlyhaveknowledge,theyalsohavetheskillstotranslatethatknowledgeintoopportunity.

24 FRAMEWORK | Women-to-Work

Total # of Trainees

Phase I: 2460Phase II: 180

Total # of Training Courses

Phase I: 120Phase II: 12

Total # of Governorates Hosting

W2W Training Programs

Phase I: Sep. 2014 - Sep. 2015Phase II: Oct. 2015 - Nov. 2015

W2W Beneficiaries

Empowerment through Knowledge 25

OUR AIMS

The Women-to-Work program enables women to further their individualaspirationsandeconomicgoalswhilecontributingtoamoreprosperousandequitablecommunitybothatlocalandnationallevels.

The strength of W2W lies in its ability to link development practitioners,scientists, experts and beneficiaries in synergistic, innovative partnershipsthatmaximizeavailableresourcesandinspiretangiblechange.

The next phase of W2W aims to build on previous success with a focuson collaborative entrepreneurship and on the sharing and promotion ofknowledgeandexperienceusinginnovativelearningtoolsandplatforms.

26 FRAMEWORK | Women-to-Work

Empowered women have the capability and the imagination to develop projects that can drive the economy and create employment opportunities in their communities for both

men and women. At W2W, we want to make sure they also have the skills and knowledge to make their projects work.

Effat El Shooky,Director, W2W Program

National Council for Women

National Council for Women (NCW)Women Business Development Centre (WBDC)

11AbdElrazekElsanhoryst.,MakramEbied,NasrCity,Cairo,Egypt

+20223490060|+20223490065+20223490066|+20223490068 ncw.gov.eg wbdc-eg.org

Empowerment through KnowledgeWomen-to-Work

OVERVIEW