Ms. Nevin Gamea, the Minister of Trade and Industry, and the CEO of the Project Development Agency, and Rev. Andrea Zaki, President of the Evangelical Community in Egypt, and of the Coptic Evangelical Organization for Social Services, witnessed the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the Agency and the Coptic Evangelical Organization for Social Services, to promote a culture of entrepreneurship and businesses, today, Monday, where, Mr. Momtaz Beshay, the vice president of CEOSS signed on behalf of CEOSS, and Dr, Rafaat Abas, head of the central sector for non-financial services at the Project Development Agency, in the presence of a group of leaders from the Project Development Agency and CEOSS.
Ms. Nevin Gamea declared: “The agency is keen to enhance the culture of entrepreneurship among the youth of both genders, especially the college graduates, and to provide various aspects of financial and non-financial support contained in the Project Development Law No. 152 of the year 2020, in order to motivate young people to establish their small and micro projects, especially projects based on innovative and creative ideas, as well as developing and expanding their existing businesses, which will be reflected in the growth of the field of entrepreneurship in Egypt and it will enhance its ability to create more job opportunities.”
Gamea explained: “The cooperation between the Agency and the Coptic Evangelical Organization comes within the framework of coordinating efforts between the organizations, institutions and NGOs working in the field of entrepreneurship, as well as civil society organizations and existing initiatives in the field of these projects, and creating the necessary climate and an enabling investment environment to encourage entrepreneurship and motivate citizens to enter the labor market through these projects, and to spread and encourage a culture of entrepreneurship, research, creativity and innovation, so that it becomes a primary choice for young people and a starting point for a successful future in the field of small projects.”
For his part, Dr. Andrea Zaki, head of the Evangelical community in Egypt and head of the Coptic Evangelical Organization for Social Services, thanked the Minister of Trade and Industry for holding this important meeting, which witnessed the signing of a cooperation protocol between the Coptic Evangelical Organization for Social Services and the Agency of Developing Medium, Small and Micro Projects. He explained, “Through this protocol, both sides target partnership and cooperation with the aim of confirming President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi’s declaration of 2022 as the year of civil society and finding the practical applications of this.”
He added that he sees this cooperation as a positive step to maximize the impact and to reach larger numbers of young people to create more opportunities to maximize investment in Egyptian human energy, and to support youth and women, especially the neediest and most needy groups and those who need caring the most, developing their capabilities and skills to increase their employment opportunities, to help provide more decent job opportunities, work to increase their income and to improve and secure their living conditions. This cooperation helps both work together to spread the culture of self-employment among young people, and supports the transformation of our target groups from the informal sector to the formal sector, while enhancing the field of entrepreneurship, creativity and innovation, and providing services – whether financial or non-financial – for entrepreneurs and owners of emerging companies, linking entrepreneurs and owners of emerging projects with markets, and working to create non-traditional markets for them. “We also aim to help develop the products of women working in the field of handicrafts to qualify them for the local market and for export. In general, we contribute effectively and positively in solving the unemployment problem.”
It is noteworthy that the Coptic Evangelical Organization for Social Services in Egypt, headed by Rev. Dr. Andrea Zaki, head of the Evangelical community in Egypt, is one of the Egyptian civil society organizations, and since its establishment in 1950 until today, it pays great attention to people without regard to color, gender or belief. Its mission revolved around the human being and it seeks improving the quality of life of the most needy citizens and those who need caring the most in society.
