Dr. Rascha Ragheb, Executive Director of the World Youth Forum

CAIRO, February 6, 2023 (Newswire.com) - Dr. Rascha Ragheb, the executive director of the World Youth Forum, announced that the fifth edition of the WYF will not be launched in its traditional annual format due to the recent successive global crises and their humanitarian and economic repercussions.

Instead, the proceeds from sponsorship revenues will be directed towards implementing a large package of development initiatives and programs that have a direct impact on citizens and young people, both in Egypt and the world, in cooperation with the forum's international and national partners. 

The initiatives include:

• An initiative for supporting small and medium-sized enterprises and helping entrepreneurs start or expand their businesses, especially in villages. This is in cooperation with the Ebda initiative for the development of Egyptian industry, the Haya Karima Foundation, the Federation of Egyptian Industries, Entlaq Company, the UN Industrial Development Organization, the UN Development Program, and the International Labour Organization.
•  The 'Learning to Earning' initiative aims to qualify Egyptian, Arab, African, and expatriate youth for the labour market and help them overcome obstacles and obtain decent jobs. The initiative will be implemented in cooperation with the UN Children's Fund and the National Training Academy.
•  A program to tackle the challenges of food security and develop the capacities of farmers and food industries in Egypt and Africa. Participants include the Ebda initiative, the National Alliance for Civil Development Work, the Haya Karima Foundation, and the UN Food and Agriculture Organization.
• A mental health support program for the victims of conflict zones, in cooperation with the Fahim Foundation and the World Health Organization.
• An international initiative to support and empower refugees and migrants and enhance their integration into educational, healthcare, and social protection programs through cooperation with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees in Egypt, the International Organization for Migration, Save the Children, and the International Committee of the Red Cross.
• The World Youth Forum Platform for Volunteers will qualify volunteers to participate in charitable work that targets in-need and conflict-stricken countries. The initiative will also implement many exchange programs for volunteers between different countries in cooperation with the Haya Karima Foundation, the National Alliance for Civil Development Work, the Arab Voluntary Union, and UN Volunteers.

About the WYF

The WYF is an annual international forum that takes place in the City of Sharm El-Sheikh in South Sinai, under the auspices of H.E. President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi, president of Egypt. Four editions of the WYF were held in 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2021. For more information, visit https://wyfegypt.com/