Nadine Mustafa Under the auspices of the Ministry of Youth and Sports, Allianz Egypt and UNICEF renew their partnership agreement to support the “Meshwary program” that empowers Children and Youth
Cairo – March 7, 2022: Egypt’s leading insurance company, Allianz Egypt, celebrates the renewal of a three-year partnership agreement with UNICEF as of March 2022.
Under the agreement, Allianz Egypt supports the “Shabab Balad” (The Young People of the Country) platform by supporting the “Meshwary” program, which is a collaboration between UNICEF and the Ministry of Youth and Sports (MoYS), under the auspices of the Prime Minister. The program aims at empowering young people and building their skills through development programs targeting innovative thinking, decision-making, and entrepreneurship skills. This comes in line with Egypt’s sustainable development goals for the 2030 vision. “Meshwary” program targets children and youth aged 10 to 24 years old, especially those who belong to the unprivileged social groups, and the program is being implemented in youth centers in 15 governorates representing Upper Egypt, Delta, and border governorates.
The signing event was attended by Gen. Ismail el Far, Executive Director and Deputy Minister of MoYS; Ayman Hegazy, Chairman and CEO of Allianz Companies in Egypt, and Jeremy Hopkins, UNICEF Representative in Egypt, as well as several high-profile representations from the government, start-up community, and the private sector.
Gen. Ismail el Far, Executive Director and Deputy Minister of MoYS, emphasized the importance of this partnership stating, “The Ministry of Youth and Sports has been cooperating with UNICEF in implementing “Meshwary” program since 2008. This program focuses on training young people to develop core life and work skills, it also provides them with professional advice within the youth centers in their governorates. The Ministry is very keen on adopting youth initiatives and supporting entrepreneurship, as well as encouraging young people to take up small businesses through a bundle of training programs that we are implementing.”
Gen. Ismail also added, “We really hope that everyone will participate and contribute as much as they can in empowering young people and encouraging them to engage in social and economic initiatives. I strongly believe that entrepreneurship is a key element in advancing our economy and that such initiatives can develop young people’s skills and capabilities in a variety of fields.”
From his side, Ayman Hegazy, Chairman and CEO of Allianz Companies in Egypt expressed his contentment and pride with this partnership saying, “We are proud to continue our fruitful cooperation with UNICEF. This partnership is a major investment for the future of our society and economy. As one of the leading insurance companies in Egypt, Allianz realizes the pivotal role it plays in community development.”
Hegazy also added: “In line with Egypt Vision 2030, Allianz Egypt’s strategy aims at supporting young people by focusing on innovation, development, promoting equal access to quality education, and equipping young people with the skills they need to become experienced decision-makers and active members of their societies.”
Meanwhile, Jeremy Hopkins, UNICEF Representative in Egypt, confirmed that the “Meshwary” program works hand in hand with all stakeholders to support national efforts in empowering young people, highlighting that this also comes in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals 2030. Additionally, he noted that the “Meshwary” program focuses on supporting young people in their transition from childhood to adulthood by training them and enhancing their life and work skills, in order to prepare them to join the workforce.
Hopkins also added that: “The collaboration between the Ministry of Youth and Sports, UNICEF and other partners from the community and the private sector, such as Allianz Egypt, is certainly a driving force that will generate more opportunities to empower young people in their journey to become future leaders.”
It is worth mentioning that by renewing the cooperation protocol with UNICEF, Allianz will be contributing, over the next three years in supporting the “Meshwary” program and will be providing social protection to at-risk children and their families in Egypt.
Allianz’s partnership with UNICEF dates back to 2019 when Allianz Egypt allocated EGP 6.5 million in contributions generated from the sale of 310,000 insurance policies through the “I Deserve a Chance: I Will Learn” initiative, aimed at supporting every child’s right to learn. This was followed by the “Our Children – Our Project” initiative, aimed at integrating the most vulnerable families and facilitating their access to basic life services.
