Ekhtar: Employment through Empowerment
Unemployment has been at the forefront of Egypt’s socioeconomic issues since the January 25th revolution, with youth being disproportionately affected. With an unemployment rate of 13.3%, youth are competing with over 3.3 million Egyptians in their job search and education is no guarantee. As it stands now, 90% of those unemployed hold academic certificates and a whopping 37% have a university degree or higher. Sounds pretty grim, right?
With so much going against Egyptian youth, the most frustrating part of it all is being stripped of the opportunity of choice – and nowhere is that more apparent than education and employment. Your parents choose your school, your grades determine you faculty, and economic conditions ultimately dictate your joblessness. However, amidst all of this and as hard as it is to believe, you do have a choice.
And that’s where Ekhtar comes in. Ekhtar, an awareness campaign launched by Education for Employment | Egypt (EFE|Egypt) in partnership with the Spanish Agency for International Development (AECID), is turning the unemployment debate on its head.
By showcasing success stories of how youth overcame unemployment, and challenging others to make a choice to do the same, Ekhtar addresses employment through empowerment. Egyptian youth must take control of their destiny. We did not create the challenging world around us, but we can create our own alternatives.
Join us on November 23, 2013 at El Sawy Culture Wheel from 3:00 pm to 8:00 pm to learn more about Ekhtar, meet inspiring guest speakers, get crucial employment tips and tricks, and most importantly listen to young Egyptians who have overcome.
WE SAID THIS: Recognizing your obstacles is a must, but surrendering to them is a choice.
