The Definitive Guide to Living in the Capital , Cairo , Egypt

Since the days of the Ancient Egyptians, over 5,000 years ago, native artisans have been known for their skilled craftsmanship of many handmade products. High-quality handwoven bags, in particular, are very trendy nowadays and some housewives produce and sell them in their own home, or in NGOs, to help support their families. Therefore, it came as no surprise when we discovered this announcement on El-Gouna Film Festival’s official Facebook page, just two days ago.

“In partnership with GFF, the Sawiris Foundation for Social Development (SFSD) is announcing its call for applications to NGOs producing quality handicrafts. An NGO will be selected to produce the GFF19 bags, which will be fully handmade by Egyptian artisans, supporting Egyptian crafts which are made by the people, for the people. #CinemaForHumanity”

Before we reveal further details about this honourable integrated initiative, what is the SFSD? Well, it’s a non-profit, non-governmental organisation that was launched in 2001, and is one of the first family donor foundations that was set up by a donation from the Sawiris family. It states on social media, “Our mission is to contribute to Egypt’s development, create sustainable job opportunities, and empower citizens to build productive lives that realise their full potential.”              

The partnership is certainly a testament to the foundation’s dedication to its mission statement. As previously mentioned, the SFSD is calling for NGOs to apply for its handicrafts competition, created for three primary purposes. First, support Egyptian artisans’ skills and motivate them to unleash their creativity. Second, promote high quality local handmade products and introduce Egypt to the world through an item that reflects our heritage, history, and culture.  Third, provide financial empowerment for the craftsmen.

According to its website, rules dictate that an equal chance will be given to all NGOs that specialise in handicrafts. Each association is required to submit their proposals to design and execute 1,500-2,000 promotional gift bags for the third edition of El-Gouna Film Festival. To be eligible, applicants must be registered in the Ministry of Solidarity, active for at least three years, have experience in handicrafts, and other factors.

The winning bag will be selected based on the NGO’s experience, professionalism, innovation, creativity of the product, quality of materials, competency and accuracy of execution, and the price. If interested, you can click this link, but hurry because the deadline is the 26th of May!                      

We are certainly excited to find out what the festival has in store for us with its stimulating movie selection, but even keener to find out the winner and see their products displayed in their full glory on the red carpet.