Personal Journey

 Ola is a 28 year old vibrant young woman who grew up in Cairo and majored in Business Administration at Ain Shams University was one of the few people who insisted on working while in school as well as being active in non-academic activities.

But it was a specific incident in Ola’s life that prompted a change in her professional and academic life. Ola took an internship as part of a compliance auditing team surveying the conditions of multinational factories in Egypt. “Seeing the conditions that workers worked in, the physical humiliation and mental degradation they were forced to endure was very disturbing. But even more shocking was the level of corruption and deceit that upper level management and high-ranking authorities used to covering it up. That is when I decided to pursue studies in development and international law and continue on my path of supporting voluntarism.”

 “I learned from people who worked with grassroots projects the significance of empowerment in development and knew that that was what was missing.” With the support of her family Ola is now a full-time volunteering manager of her own NGO as well as a private consultant. Namaa’ the organization that Ola helped create helps young Egyptians develop practical solutions to development challenges in their communities. “It is a blessing that I can bring my business background into the development world which too often is full of grand ideas and little action. But more grateful that I have found the means to do something meaningful with my life, for my community and for the millions of youth like me who want to make a difference but can’t.” Imagine if only more young people had the means and opportunities to make a difference what the Middle East could achieve.