#SceneKheir: 5 Ramadan Initiatives That Will Make You Proud to Be Egyptian

As Ramadan rolls into its last week, we’ve rounded up five out-of-the-box corporate initiatives that are raising eyebrows and spreading do-good vibes across the country. From food packs distributed through Uber rides, to eyeglass swapping and candle holders to help ‘light up’ the path of education for underprivileged children, these five initiatives have managed to blend in business, tech, and philanthropy in their own creative way.

#TamaraGivesBack

Lebanese bistro Tamara is leading a CSR campaign in collaboration with The Egyptian Food Bank during Ramadan. Aiming at helping feed those in need, the restaurant is leading its customers into a philanthropic journey where they get to be part of the initiative they are spearheading themselves.

At their trademark restaurants, guests can write Ramadan messages on specially designed #TamaraGivesBack cards, post them on Facebook or Instagram using the hashtag, and the restaurant will provide a full Iftar menu to the Food Bank for each card. Tamara sets out to give 50 meals per week, which they will do until Eid comes around.

#SeeMyWorld

“I have been working in this store for 45 years; I used to clean the floors when I was just 12. Nothing is still the same. The world is continuously changing. The silver stamps keep getting smaller and I keep getting older; spotting it is becoming impossible!”

This elderly man’s story, published on Baraka Fashion’s Facebook page, is part of their campaign #SeeMyWorld, an initiative that shares the stories of people who need eyeglasses across Cairo’s streets. The company is inviting people to vote for the winning story, whose protagonist will receive a pair of eyeglasses, while also offering clients the chance to donate their old glasses and swap them for a 20 per cent discount on new purchases.

#KamelKaramak

Car-sharing giant Uber upped their Ramadan game this season as they joined forces with the Kamel Karamak campaign, a joint effort created by prominent brands Lipton and Knorr, who came together to help bring the Ramadan spirit to those who don’t have anything to eat.

Across the nation, even though 30 per cent of food goes to waste, there are still about 3.5 million people who go hungry. Aiming to help bring a meal to those in need, Uber is offering one meal for every ride conducted through the Kamel Karamak promocode. The company, which doesn’t require an extra fee from the passenger who chooses to participate, aims for a minimum of 10,000 trips before the end of the campaign, which meals 10,000 meals will be distributed among the less privileged.

Azza Fahmy’s ‘Shed the Light’ Initiative 

As it launches the Ramadan gifts collection for the holy month every year, the high-end luxury jewellery brand is this year offering their clients the chance to shed light on a child’s journey towards knowledge and education through its special candle holder, created for Ramadan in an effort to donate the proceeds to the Educate-Me Community School, a trailblazing non-profit organisation that has been granting underprivileged children the chance to access meaningful education.

The non-profit organisation, one of Egypt’s most disruptive entities, has been challenging traditional forms of instruction and its founder, Yasmine Helal, was selected last year as one of Cairoscene’s 15 Real Influencers of 2015.

Polefit Egypt’s Class for a Cause

With their ‘Class for a Cause’ campaign, Cairo’s groundbreaking pole fitness studio gave students the chance to work on their arm balance while doing good through their Saturday non-profit workshop. Its clients, which usually have a monthly package, could pay a sum of their choice – with a minimum of 35 EGP – for the workshop, with proceedings donated for Ramadan food packs.

“We usually do something for Ramadan every year,” says Polefit Egypt’s founder Manar El Mokkadem, one of the nation’s youngest entrepreneurs, listed as one of Egypt’s 25 Under 25 change-makers in 2015. “This year, we didn't have something set up yet, so flexibility and yoga instructor Irene came up with the idea, and the student union and I organised the session to make it happen,” she explains.

This article is part of the #SceneKheir series, which aims to highlight charitable initiatives throughout the month of Ramadan.

Main image is part of Baraka Fashion's #SeeMyWorld campaign, courtesy of Baraka Fashion.