By Hend GadAllah

Dr. Ashraf Sobhy, Minister of Youth and Sports, welcomed Mr. Ted Chaiban, the UNICEF Regional Director for North Africa and the Middle East, and Mr. Jeremy Hopkins, the organization representative in Egypt, to discuss cooperation prospects between the Ministry and the organization during the coming period, in the presence of Major General Ismail El Far, Head of the Central Administration for Projects and Youth Training and Ashraf Al-Bagrami, Deputy Director of the Directorate Youth and sports in Cairo. 

He, accompanied by UNICEF representatives, visited an exhibition of handicrafts for the Meshwary program in Cairo. This was followed by a review of the program successful examples implemented by projects and training youth Administration in cooperation with the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), which works to rehabilitate and train young people for the labor market and develop the life skills.

He emphasized during his meeting with the UNICEF delegation that the ministry will facilitate the strategic plans development to achieve the general objectives of strengthening the program. He indicated that the “Mishwarya” program is in line with the axis of building the human being launched by President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi at the recent youth conference. He visited “Our Heritage” exhibition, which includes a group of national handicraft products and the promotion of national handicrafts and crafts and Egypt needs to pay attention to products good marketing internally and externally.

He reviewed the state’s efforts to develop leadership and administrative capabilities and skills through the University of Aslaska which aimed at providing greater opportunities for youth to occupy leadership positions, in addition to the role of the National Training Academy and also directed to turn Meshwary to be entrepreneurship program with a study of having a national company specializing in products and handicrafts.

The UNICEF Regional Director referred to the importance of the Mishwary Program activities implemented under the auspices of the Ministry at eleven governorates, praising the endeavor to integrate projects and invest the human element and create a supportive environment.

Meshwary youth presented their success stories that have achieved since joining the Meshwary program, which was implemented by the Ministry in all governorates, and how they joined, knew and benefited.

Meshwary program develops life skills such as communication, setting goals, innovative thinking, and employment skills such as writing a CV, interview skills, and small business creation skills for young people, in addition to career counseling service centers.