Sponsoring sports
BANQUE Misr, one of the largest banks in Egypt, announced it will sponsor national football teams for the next three seasons until the end of the 2026 World Cup. The bank said in a statement issued on Sunday that the sponsorship is a way of reinforcing its social responsibility.
The bank’s contributions to community development focus on health, education and youth. The bank also said that its sponsorship of football teams reflects its keenness to support Egyptian sports, especially football, the most popular game in Egypt and the rest of the world.
The bank added that it had contributed to establishing a charitable fund to support Egypt’s sports champions and help them achieve impressive results in international competitions.
Libel verdict out soon
A CAIRO misdemeanour court set next Saturday as the date for a ruling in the case of publisher and liberal activist Hisham Qassem, who faces charges of libelling former labour minister Kamal Abu Eita. Qassem, who was detained on 20 August, will remain in custody pending a sentence.
On 29 July Qassem accused Abu Eita of corruption in a Facebook post. The general prosecution investigated the complaint by Abu Eita and ordered Qassem released on bail for LE5,000. Qassem refused to pay, saying he had been unfairly detained. After refusing bail, Qassem was moved to Sayeda Zeinab police station and from there placed in custody. He was then hit with another lawsuit, as police officers at the station accused him of verbally assaulting them.
Qassem’s lawyer Nasser Amin announced that the publisher had gone on a hunger strike for 13 days and was living on fluids. Qassem vowed to continue his hunger strike until his release.
An opportunity to learn
MISR Al-Khair, a charity organisation, launched a new initiative targeting school students from needy families living in rural areas, reports Mai Samih.
Entitled “Back to School,” the plan includes establishing new community schools and renovating old ones, paying tuition fees, and providing students with school uniforms and school bags.
In a press conference on Saturday, head of the education sector at Misr Al-Khair Saber Hassan said “education is the only way to shape individuals and advance them.”
As part of the project, volunteers will distribute school bags with notebooks, drawing books, crayons, pens and geometrical tools.
In addition to offering underprivileged families an opportunity to send their children to schools in various educational levels, Misr Al-Kheir also supports technical education by training students to cater to job market needs, Hassan said. This is in partnership with the Ministry of Social Solidarity and the initiative Forsa (Opportunity). Students are trained on tourism and health and agricultural services. The training will allow them to work as nurse assistants, and in agricultural projects like greenhouses.
So far Misr Al-Khair has trained students, teachers and social pioneers in 250 kindergarten schools, established 1,083 community schools, set up 210 schools and renovated 300 schools in what is described as the most vulnerable areas and provided university students with 2,000 scholarships.
* A version of this article appears in print in the 14 September, 2023 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly
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