Cairo — Educate Me Foundation (EMF), a non-profit organization that aims to redefine education in Egypt, has announced the launch of its 2030 strategy, under the name of “Breaking the Cycle: From Poverty to Prosperity” to empower children, families, and communities through fair access to quality education.
The launch event was held in the presence of H.E. Mrs. Riikka Eela, Ambassador of Finland in Cairo featuring a panel discussion that fostered an impactful dialogue among esteemed speakers, shedding light on critical gaps and opportunities of Egypt’s education landscape in the community.
Under the theme “From Poverty to Prosperity: Education as a Shared Responsibility,” the panel included Mr. Shiraz Chakera Chief of Education at UNICEF Egypt, Dr. Lamise Negm, Corporate Social Responsibility Advisor & Executive Chairman at the Financial Regulatory Authority (FRA), Dr. Malak Zaalouk, Professor of Practice & Director of Applied Linguistics and Educational Studies at the American University in Cairo, Ms. Heba Iskander, Board Secretary and Corporate Development Director at Orascom Construction PLC, and Mr. Abdelrahman Nagy, 3ie Lead Evaluation and MENA Representative.
In this context, Egypt’s literacy landscape presents urgent actions: 50% of Egyptian children are unable to read or write proficiently by the age of ten, leaving nearly 43% at risk of learning poverty by 2030 if unaddressed. Additionally, 5% of families have a child with a disability, increasing their likelihood of falling into learning poverty by 14%.
The importance of this strategy was reinforced by data on education and poverty, which highlighted the scale of the gaps and opportunities ahead. Commenting on the occasion, Eng. Christine Safwat, Executive Director of EMF, stated: “This year as we celebrate 15 years of impact, we are launching our new strategy that aims to break the cycle of poverty through education. Educate Me Foundation strategy will focus on two fronts: building foundational skills—literacy, numeracy, digital, and socio-emotional—for children and mothers, and ensuring access to quality K-12 education by improving schools, teacher capacity, and inclusivity. By 2030, the plan targets reaching five million students, engaging 50,000 educators and 10,000 parents, and supporting 5,000 schools, alongside establishing and running community schools and centers of excellence. All to be achieved through ambition and strong strategic partnerships with governmental entities, private sector and civil society.”
It is worth mentioning that Educate Me’s 2030 strategy was developed from the ground up—through listening, observing, and co-creating with communities across several in depth phases—ensuring it reflects real needs and delivers practical, sustainable impact.
About Educate Me Foundation (EMF):
Educate Me Foundation is an Egyptian non-profit organization that aims to ensure that every child has access to quality education, empowering them to break the cycle of poverty and reach their full potential. The foundation provides context-responsive educational solutions through the operation of community schools, professional development programs for public school teachers and students across 18 Egyptian governorates, and specialized consulting services in the field of education.