Suez Cement promotes summer activities for the children of Helwan and Tourah Districts
Cairo, 13 August 2008. “For the smile of our children” is the development project started in April 2007 by Suez Cement group of Companies- which is composed by Suez Cement Company, Helwan Cement Company and Tourah Portland Cement Company- in cooperation with the National Council for Childhood and Motherhood (NCCM). This comprehensive development program, that adopts a participatory approach, aims to ensure a better quality of life in key areas of concern such as education, environment, health and social services for the children and youth of Helwan and Tourah.
In line with the project’s objectives and in order to build strong educational principles in the children of Suez Cement’s employees, the Company and NCCM have recently launched summer activities to enable up to 500 children of Helwan and Tourah’s employees aged from 6 to 15 years old, including children with special needs of the target area, to occupy their free time with sport and educational activities.
The two-month of activities, which began in Helwan on 7 July and will begin in Tourah on August 18, plan a series of initiatives: workshops focused on raising awareness on environment and health, cultural trips and sport activities like football, tennis, karate and ping-pong. In parallel, two green corner competitions have been launched to award the best group of children as friends of the environment and encourage them to develop environmental care and protection.
Since 2007, Suez Cement undertook several activities focused on improving educational environment, building institutional capacity, raise environmental awareness, support medical care and health standards, improve recreational and sports activities as well as enhance the economic and social standards. To date the project upgraded three schools in the target area, developed two medical and health centers in Kafr El Elw and el Maasara areas, implemented 13 environmental camps involving 7 schools, 17 NGOs, 64 teachers and 600 students to develop “green corner” spirit in schools and public places. In parallel to this, workshops and training programs were held for school directors, supervisors and teachers to discuss appropriate methods to promote education process in crowded classes and how to prepare educational tools from environmental material.
Tree planting was one of the tangible sides of the project, where 2000 trees were planted around Helwan Cement Factory and other 2100 trees in El Maasara Youth Center. Clean-up activities were also organized with schools and NGOs in the area of Kafr El Elw as well as environmental competitions among schools with interesting incentives of trips to the winners.
As for environmental awareness, specially-designed and produced awareness material were used and distributed among the local community to raise awareness on the most important issues of NCCM mandate including child rights, best methods of sanitation, risks of drugs and smoking, as well as the female genital mutilation (FGM).