Resala - Egypt's Leading NGO

Resala is an Egyptian NGO that was established in October 2000 after the completion of its first branch in Faisal, Giza, Egypt. Today Resala boasts 32 branches all over Egypt and some 75 thousand volunteers. Each Resala branch offers 17 different activities to help people in the community.

Early Beginnings

The idea behind Resala started in 1999 when Dr Sherif, now Chairman of Resala, was delivering a lecture to his Engineering school students at Cairo University as part of an academic course about Work Ethics. At the end of the lecture, student's gathered around him and expressed their desire to take action and not just stand still in front of negative aspects they see in the community. They decided to be positive and start helping out their surrounding community by cleaning up their university, delivering free training courses to their colleagues and helping out in spreading the word about blood donation among their colleagues at the School of Engineering at Cairo University.

Activities

Orphans
Hosting of orphans. Providing orphans with food and shelter in addition to a Big Brother / Big Sister program fueled by volunteers.

Poor Families
Resala provides food and simple furniture for poor families.

Deaf
1- Sign language training for volunteers.
2- Trips for the deaf.
3- Training for the deaf.

Blind
1- Braille training for volunteers.
2- Braille printing.
3- Printed book to recorded tape service for the blind done by volunteers.
4- Trips for the blind.
5- Computer training for the blind.

Children with Special Needs
1- Speech lessons.
2- Computer training.
3- Motor skills practice.

Recycling
Collection of used paper and cardboard for reuse.
SalesSimple products with the Resala label on it are sold such as mugs, tissue paper and other objects. This helps spread the word about Resala as well as create some income to be used for charity.

AdvertisingResala
regularly reserves booths at exhibitions and sport clubs to advertise its a activities through direct contact with prospective volunteers and/or donors. During the exhibition, Resala volunteers distribute flayers and provide volunteer application forms as well as donor application forms to those interested. Moreover, they sell Resala products during the exhibition.
HandiworkProviding handiwork training for volunteers.Sales of handiwork crafts with the profit reused for charity at Resala.

Used Clothes
Collecting used clothes and reselling it for very low prices at poor neighborhoods through short 3-day exhibitions. The money from the sales goes back to Resala for spending in charity.

Literacy Training
Teaching adults how to read and write. Training is delivered by volunteers.

Charity Dish
Any person may donate food to Resala. The food is then provided to those benefiting from the various Resala activities such as those attending literacy courses or children taking free private lessons at Resala.

Charity Errand
Volunteers may elect to offer a free drive to blind or sick people or for other charity errands at Resala. Whenever a need for such a service arises, an employee at Resala responsible for such activity calls volunteers who have signed up for this activity to check who is available from them and asks him or her if he could provide the free ride they are in need of.

Computer Training
Each Resala branch has a computer lab in which capable volunteers provide free computer training in various computer fields to whoever would like to attend the courses.
School LessonsResala volunteers provide free private lessons to school students in various school subjects.

Blood Donation
At the first Thursday of every calendar month, Resala volunteers who are interested in and capable of blood donation gather at the various Resala branches to donate their blood.

Blood Bank
Interested volunteers may decide to include their name, contact information and blood type in a database at Resala. Whenever a case comes up that is in need for blood transfusion, a Resala employee checks the database for volunteers with matching blood types and calls them to see who can be available to donate his or her blood for the case that has showed up.

Green Resala
Each volunteer interested in the Green Resala activity brings a potted plant and keeps it at Resala after writing his or her name on the pot. The volunteer then comes to check on his or her plant at Resala and take care of it.

Funding Needed
Donations Resala accepts regular fixed monthly donations. A Resala representative collects the fixed monthly donation each month from the donor's house. A Resala employee first calls the donor at home to make sure he or she is ready for donation and will be available to collect the donation from him or her. The Resala representative provides a stamped receipt to the donor upon collecting the fixed monthly donation.

Hospital
Resala has land in Mekattam for building a hospital.

School
Resala has land in Mekattam for building a school for children with special needs and regular children.

Dr Sherif Abdel Azim
Dr Sherif Abdel Azim is Chairman of Resala. He is a Lecturer at the School of Engineering, Cairo University. He also lectures at the AUC (American University in Cairo). Dr Sherif conducts regular visits to the different Resala branches, specially to those in Cairo, delivering an introductory session to new volunteers during each visit.

How you Can HelpYou can:

1- Donate blood
2- Deliver computer training
3- Deliver lessons to school children
4- Deliver literacy training
5- Read and tape record books for the blind
6- Teach the deaf
7- Train children with special needs
8- Offer free drives
9- Offer a charity dish
10- Sell Resala products
11- Classify used clothes at Resala
12- Sell used clothes at Resala exhibitions
13- Distribute food bags in poor families
14- Explore poor families
15- Donate a fixed monthly donation to one or more of these three activities at Resala: orphans; 16- poor families and/or other.

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