The Ministry of Youth and Sports, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and Etijah Youth and Development Consultancy Institute celebrated the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the Population Awareness Clubs on September 30.

The celebration was attended by the Minister of Youth and Sports Dr. Ashraf Sobhy, UNFPA Representative in Egypt, Mr. Yves Sassenrath, Ambassador-Designate of Canada to Egypt. Mr. Ulric Shannon, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Etijah, Dr. Hesham El Ruby and Head of Development Cooperation at the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Cairo, Kjersti Lindoe.

The event was also attended by Mr. Ibrahim Saber, Governor of Cairo; Eng. Ayman Attia, Governor of Qalyubia, Eng. Adel el-Naggar, Governor of Giza, Major General Ismail El Far, Assistant Minister for Youth Affairs and Governmental Relations; Dr. Abla El Alfy, Deputy Minister of Health and Population for Population Affairs and Family Development, and other representatives from the Ministry of Youth and Sports, the United Nations Fund, and other governmental institutions and UN agencies.

The Population Awareness Clubs were established in 2014 by the Ministry of Youth and Sports, UNFPA and Etijah. They operate in youth centers in Egypt’s governorates and act as hubs for raising awareness on different issues, including reproductive health, gender-based violence and harmful practices against women and girls, through interactive and innovative methods such as music and theater.

There are currently 431 Population Awareness Clubs in all 27 governorates of Egypt, bringing together thousands of young volunteers. The program has established 17 Nawah theater teams, who develop theater scripts and songs that shed light on various reproductive health issues, and perform them in their communities, in collaboration with the Zad Art Team. Since 2020, an annual Nawah Community Art Festival has been taking place, where volunteers from different governorates produce, sing and act in performances.

Through the program, 24 Shamandoura teams were also formed, composing and performing songs that raise awareness on different reproductive health topics.

“Your presence today to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the Population Clubs in youth centers offers great moral support and strengthens our determination to continue our efforts,” Dr. Sobhy said, “I have confidence in the capacity and importance of the Population Awareness Clubs and youth empowerment programs in promoting young people’s effective participation and advancing the services and awareness provided to young people in youth centers.”

On his part, Mr. Sassenrath said, “The program has emerged as a beacon of change, influencing young people’s skills, attitudes and awareness in addition to fostering community development. What initially began as a small initiative in a collaborative effort amongst visionary partners, has now evolved into a national initiative spanning 27 governorates and leaving a significant mark on the journey towards sustainable development and youth empowerment.”

“Population Awareness Clubs represent a critical hub for engaging with Egyptian youth on topics such as reproductive health, family planning and gender-based violence. These are topics that Canada champions all over the world through our Feminist International Assistance Policy,” Shannon said. 

El-Rouby thanked Etijah’s partners for the “opportunity to implement the program in youth centers across various governorates in Egypt, which has helped us reach a broader segment of society and enhance awareness of population issues.”

The event included a performance by the Shamandoura music team, as well as a screening of a film titled “Dear Ward,” produced under the project, tackling female genital mutilation (FGM). A panel discussion was also held on the impact of the Population Awareness Clubs on youth empowerment in Egypt, bringing together Gihan Rashwan, General Manager of the General Administration for Entrepreneurship and Startups, Karim Shawer, Head of Programs at Etijah, Soad Hamed, Youth Program Analyst at UNFPA, Mohamed Hozyen, Representative of the ZAD Arts Team, Hany Abdullah, a trainer at the Population Awareness Club in Minya and Neveen Emad, a member of the Population Awareness Club in Qena. The discussion was moderated by Rasha Abou El Azm, Youth and Adolescent Program Specialist at UNFPA.