Nadine Mustafa 
The word speaks for itself. NEYA means a deep-seated intention to do good deeds. It is what this platform is reflecting while drawing the public’s attention. The ultimate goal of this platform has been to give a helping hand to those in need, speak for the voiceless and support the underdogs. NEYA’s innovation promotes long-lasting expansion through its various activities, be it donating, volunteering or remotely sensitizing public awareness for several causes.
In this extensive interview, we talked to Hana El Sadat, the CEO and founder of NEYA, to learn a little bit more about the notion behind such a platform and the objectives it seeks.
How did NEYA come about?
It started when I was still a university student in Boston. I was feeling homesick and I wanted to do some volunteering since it is what I’m most passionate about. I started searching online for somewhere to go volunteer; however, I ended up spending hours surfing the web with frustration because I couldn’t find a tool to direct me. I had also witnessed a lot of people around me who were having a hard time knowing where and how to give back. From then on, I started brainstorming a tool that slowly led me to the idea of developing an entire platform.
What was the goal behind creating your platform?
Neya brings all your charity needs into one place. We want to level the playing field and give all charities and causes an equal chance to access donations. Through Neya, you can explore charities and causes that tackle different problems in the community and choose those that you want to support most. We don’t want you to go through a cumbersome process of tirelessly searching for causes you want to stand for, figuring out how to support them and never knowing the extent of your support. We aim to make your good deed convenient, simple and interactive.
What key things are you trying to accomplish in your plan?
The main goal at the moment is for Neya to become recognized not only locally, but regionally and internationally. We are looking forward to the expansion, whether it is with organizations or global brands in the marketplace.
You provide numerous initiatives through your platform, what is the main target of your organization behind each action?
Every initiative has a goal behind it, and that mostly falls under helping communities in need. We work with each organization to reach the target goal it seeks to accomplish. It is our part to spread awareness, as well as provide these opportunities in our network to share with the local community here in Egypt. We offer the stories behind the campaigns and the access to donations. Different methods include donating from subscription options, one time payment to cash and online payments. Neya aims to provide people with numerous ways to give back with maximum exposure to what goes on around each cause.
What are some of the initiatives your platform has supported?
One of our initiatives was the ‘Giving Tuesday’ with Emaar Misr and DHL, where we collaborated with them to pick up in-kind donations from the Emaar community to support communities in need. Other initiatives included the ‘Food Boxes’, where we aimed to help 5,000 families all over Egypt. Another was ‘Ben7ayikom’, dedicated to showing appreciation to health-care workers during the virus, where all parties stood in solidarity to overcome the pandemic. Lastly, there is the ‘Zero Waste’ initiative, where we work closely with fashion designers to collect the waste leftover from their designs and transfer it to workshops for women to learn how to sew and design their local products.
What message does your podcast series convey?
The ‘Asrar Al Nafs’ podcast serves to empower mental health in the MENA region. Mental health awareness is not common in Egypt; thus, this podcast helps people understand what mental health means. Ally Salama, owner of the Empower Magazine, interviews a celebrity every week who gives their insight on mental health, how to deal with it and their personal journey towards it. At the end of the podcast, listeners have the chance to donate to the Empower Fund on the Neya Application to help provide resources for young people who suffer from mental health in Egypt. Today, we’re seeing more mental health awareness than usual due to the effects of Covid-19.
How far did you see the ‘Kemama Campaign’ contribute to combating the pandemic in Egypt?
The ‘Kemama Campaign’ was one of the campaigns that made a tremendous impact on people. This UNDP campaign aimed to support women in Qena who work in El-Nidaa’s factory to produce surgical masks to cover the shortage in Upper Egypt. For every five EGP donation, two extra masks are produced. Whereas, for every thirty-five EGP, they will be able to protect one person for a whole week. At the end of the day, working to help the local community helps add a percentage to global relief. We must stick together in support so we can lessen the burden.
NEYA did some collaborations with various brands, amongst which was ‘Rebel’. What inspired the ‘Hanem Campaign’?
When first Neya launched, we did a partnership for the blind-sighted people. In a way, we wanted to build on it, so we donated to a women organization for the blind. The collaboration was all about women for women, where Rebel x Neya joined forces to celebrate every Egyptian woman through her empowerment. This mission is beyond fashion. With every purchase of the Hanem scarf, the proceeds go to ‘Al Nour Wal Amal’, a non-profit organization that supports blind women.
What are the main obstacles that stand between you and your mission, and how do you plan to overcome them?
I think the main obstacle was urging people to do collaborations and help them understand that we are a tool and not a competitor. Thankfully due to Covid-19, many entities are realizing the power of working together, which is something that is changing in our ecosystem.
Is there anything that you wish more people knew about your organization?
Neya has an online platform and an app launched on the App Store and Google Play. Our app allows users to make their own profiles which eventually connects them to organizations in need. Users can sign up for different volunteering opportunities, donate to any cause, start their campaign and shop from our marketplace that helps local artisans and NGOs.
How does Neya stand out from other similar platforms with this app?
What we have done differently is gamify the activities. We have incentivized our community to do good and given them benefits for their time and their donations. We are building a hub of people who want to give back and work together. The app works on a reward system; the more you use our features, the more points you will have that can be redeemed and used as a discount on specific stores. Users will have the option to subscribe to any cause so they can donate regularly. We have made giving back less demanding and straining on users.
Moreover, users are able to share events with their family and friends to help spread the word. They can also send us their questions and suggestions, and even share their pictures from the events they’ve attended with Neya.
