[:en]13 villages… project made for a better life[:ar]13 قرية … مشروع صنع من أجل حياة أفضل[:]

[:en]In 2004, Prof. Ibrahim Abouleish, SEKEM’s founder had initiated a project to develop the villages surrounding SEKEM Farm. 

The project was in action for three years, during which the 13 villages received campaigns and actions for their development.

The project included gathering, separating, and recycling waste, building sanitary rooms, raising awareness on health through medical convoys, training on Biodynamic agriculture and composting, restorations and maintenance of buildings, illiteracy classes, scholarships, and employment for children with special needs, and supporting small projects.

Heliopolis University for Sustainable Development (HUSD) with SEKEM group of companies decided to reinitiate the project in October 2019 with the students, teachers, professors, and SEKEM staff, building on the first project’s experience and knowledge of the area and in line with SEKEM Vision 2057, Egypt vision 2030 and SDGs 2015-2030 that covers the four dimensions of sustainable development; ecology, economy, society, and culture.

The project will cover an area of 45,000 kilometers squares with around 35,000 residents in 13 villages: Abu Shair, Ali Kamel Metwally, Galfina 1, 2, 3, Nabih, Karama, Kamal Nakhla, Maher, Tahaweya, Dahar, Basateen Barakat, and new Manshiyya.

Heliopolis University Rural Development Centre (HU-RDC) at HUSD is leading this ongoing initiative in order to support HUSD students, staff, and alumni to face the sustainable development challenges in these villages. It is a step further from academia to the field in order to achieve positive change and development in the community and to the students reciprocally.

HU-RDC is the coordinator entity of this project with the 5 faculties (Pharmacy, Engineering, Business, and Economics, Physical Therapy and Organic Agriculture), the Alumni Association, Research Department, SEKEM Schools, and SEKEM Medical Center to achieve the promising goal of the 13 villages community development project.

The project is an opportunity for the 13villages to improve their living conditions and to create job opportunities, but it is also a chance for the students to get involved in community work, to find ways through their fields of studies to serve people and their country.

 [:ar]

في عام 2004، بدأ البروفيسور إبراهيم أبو العيش، مؤسس سيكم، مشروعًا لتطوير القرى المحيطة بمزرعة سيكم.

كان المشروع قيد التنفيذ لمدة ثلاث سنوات، تلقت خلالها 13 قرية حملات وإجراءات لتنميتها.

تضمن المشروع جمع النفايات وفصلها وإعادة تدويرها، وبناء غرف صحية، ورفع الوعي الصحي من خلال القوافل الطبية، والتدريب على الزراعة الحيوية والسماد، وترميم المباني وصيانتها، ودروس محو الأمية، والمنح الدراسية، وتوظيف الأطفال ذوي الاحتياجات الخاصة، ودعم المشاريع الصغيرة.

13 villages

قررت جامعة هليوبوليس للتنمية المستدامة (HUSD) مع مجموعة شركات سيكم إعادة بدء المشروع في أكتوبر 2019 مع الطلاب والمدرسين والأساتذة وموظفي سيكم، بناءً على خبرة المشروع الأول ومعرفته بالمنطقة وبما يتماشى مع رؤية سيكم 2057، رؤية مصر 2030 وأهداف التنمية المستدامة 2015-2030 التي تغطي الأبعاد الأربعة للتنمية المستدامة؛ البيئة والاقتصاد والمجتمع والثقافة.

سيغطي المشروع مساحة 45000 كيلومتر مربع مع حوالي 35000 ساكن في 13 قرية: أبو شعير، علي كامل متولي، جلفينا 1، 2، 3، نبيه، كرامة، كمال نخلة، ماهر، طحاوية، الدهار، بساتين بركات، والمنشية الجديدة.

يقود مركز التنمية الريفية بجامعة هليوبوليس (HU-RDC) في HUSD هذه المبادرة المستمرة من أجل دعم طلاب HUSD والموظفين والخريجين لمواجهة تحديات التنمية المستدامة في هذه القرى. إنها خطوة أخرى من الأوساط الأكاديمية إلى المجال من أجل تحقيق التغيير الإيجابي والتنمية في المجتمع والطلاب بشكل متبادل.

HU-RDC هو الكيان المنسق لهذا المشروع مع الكليات الخمس (الصيدلة، والهندسة، والأعمال، والاقتصاد، والعلاج الطبيعي والزراعة العضوية)، وجمعية الخريجين، وقسم البحوث، ومدارس سيكم، ومركز سيكم الطبي لتحقيق الهدف الواعد من 13 قرية مشروع تنمية المجتمع.

يعد المشروع فرصة للقرى الـ 13 لتحسين ظروفهم المعيشية وخلق فرص عمل، ولكنه أيضًا فرصة للطلاب للانخراط في العمل المجتمعي، لإيجاد طرق من خلال مجالات دراستهم لخدمة الناس وبلدهم.

[:]

MED-WET Partners Participate in Fundão Agricultural Innovation Fair, October 2024, Portugal

[:en] The MED-WET partners, including the team from Heliopolis University for Sustainable Development, had the opportunity to showcase their excellent results at the Fundão Agricultural Innovation Fair, held during (9-13) October 2024 in Portugal. This event provided a wonderful platform to widely share the project’s advancements, exchange insights, and engage with various international stakeholders in the water, energy and agricultural sectors. During the fair, the HUSD team actively participated in a parallel conference, where they delivered in-depth presentations and speech covering the MED-WET’s goals, achievements, and importance in advancing sustainable water management for climate-resilient agriculture among the rural and desert communities. At the heart of their presence was the MED-WET stand, which attracted significant attention of the majority of participants. It served as a focal point for information dissemination, providing an interactive space where farmers, agricultural experts, policymakers, and researchers could learn more about the project’s innovative approaches to water conservation and irrigation technology in arid regions. The stand featured detailed explanations of the project’s outcomes, including key findings and 3-D prototypes of the three technologies “Constructed Wetlands in Sekem El-Wahat, Solar energy-driven desalination for greenhouse agriculture in Malta and the SLECI Irrigation technology in Portugal and Morocco”. This obviously proven the MED-WET’s success in realizing efficient water management practices that contributed to sustainable farming and addressed water scarcity challenges in the Mediterranean region. Overall, the Fundão Agricultural Innovation Fair was a highly productive experience for all participants. It allowed the MED-WET team to expand their network, raise awareness about the critical issue of water scarcity, and underscore the project’s role in promoting sustainable agricultural practices across the Mediterranean region. The fair highlighted the increasing importance of collaborative efforts in addressing water conservation and irrigation challenges in agriculture, reinforcing the relevance of the MED-WET initiative. [:]

[:en]Showcasing the Med-Wet Project: Partners Participated in the Euro-Mediterranean Innovation Marketplace in Cairo[:]

[:en] One of the Heliopolis University for Sustainable Development’s successful research projects called “MED-WET” is selected among the top successful and highest performing 20 EU–Prima projects worldwide this year 2024. An international conference and fair was conducted on 3 Oct., 2024 in Cairo organized by Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) in association with the European Commission (EC) office in Cairo. In which, a team from HUSD and MED-WET’s partner countries from Malta and Germany presented the key results of the MED-WET project, including the successfully developed three technologies (Constructed Wetlands in Sekem El-Wahat, Solar energy-driven desalination for greenhouse agriculture in Malta and the SLECI Irrigation technology in Portugal and Morocco). That mega event allowed HUSD to showcase the innovative solution of the low-cost, low-energy and nature-based “Instream Constructed Wetland” model addressing water challenges and climate change in the Mediterranean. Such innovations aim to conserve water, improve irrigation efficiency and tackle water scarcity (climate-resilient agriculture). The marketplace offered meaningful exchanges with international partners. HUSD’s team discussed potential collaborations with stakeholders who are interested in new research projects, which will help further amplify the impact of the Med-Wet project. The conversations done with promising future partners underscored the importance of cross-border cooperation and innovation in addressing complex environmental challenges, on the top of them “water scarcity and climate change”. [:]

[:en]Announcement: Heliopolis University Low Carbon Energy Report Released![:]

[:en]Heliopolis University for Sustainable Development is proud to announce the release of our latest report on Low Carbon Energy Usage across campus! This report highlights our commitment to a greener future by measuring the amount of low-carbon energy utilized in our operations. Through this analysis, we’re taking bold steps toward sustainability and reducing our carbon footprint. Key Highlights: A detailed breakdown of renewable energy sources powering our campus Insights on energy efficiency improvements across our facilities Actionable goals for expanding clean energy use in the coming years Together, we’re paving the way for a more sustainable and energy-efficient future. Thank you to everyone who contributed to making this report possible! Stay tuned for more updates as we continue working towards a 100% low-carbon campus! #HeliopolisUniversity #SustainableFuture #LowCarbonEnergy #CleanEnergy See the report here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/122aDtID_M3wxZSzZnKuzx-VcHolUbxh5/view?usp=sharing[:]