Our Story
Giza Systems Education Foundation (GSEF) is a civil educational non-profit foundation aiming to serve the Egyptian society through combating ignorance and poverty in the most marginalized areas in the country through the use of technology and technical expertise.
GSEF strives at serving, developing, empowering and positively impacting the Egyptian community through leveraging its guardian company’s most unique asset; technology integration. The Foundation seeks to serve the public through philanthropic contributions designed to make a change and is empowered by a network of professionals from Giza Systems, with expertise and specialization in information technology, finance, marketing, management and other fields.
The foundation was established in December 2013 under the supervision of the Egyptian Ministry of Social Solidarity (registration no. 9400 y2013).
Initiatives
Education and Creativity
• Read to Succeed, Ezbet El Nasr, Cairo
Thanks to the National Reading Program at USAID Egypt, GSEF was able to donate a diverse collection of 1,455 books to three governmental schools located in Ezbet El Nasr (in Basateen) and Ezbet El Nasr Youth Center Library. The initiative stems from the importance and impact of reading on the lives of children and young adults, especially in marginalized areas.
• Supporting Technical Education, Suez
Partnering with Misr El Kheir Foundation and the Ministry of Education, GSEF supported the STEM initiative by equipping the Advanced Industrial Technical High School of Suez with a language and computer lab to include computers, headsets, and other necessary accessories.
Environment
EcoChic
In an initiative to tackle the growing concern over the disposal of billboards in landfills and in order to spread awareness about the preservation of the environment, Giza Systems created the “EcoChic” brand. EcoChic is a fashionable production of environmentally friendly commercial merchandise through the use of vinyl posters.
EcoChic products are produced by housewives and disadvantaged women, enabling them to generate additional income with positive ripple effect on jobs and skills development within the community.
Consequently, GSEF launched a “Back to School” initiative, distributing one thousand vinyl bags to underprivileged students in marginalized areas in Cairo and Upper Egypt. GSEF was able to gain the support of major companies including Jotun Paints, Nestle Egypt and Virgin Mega Store donating their billboards contributing to the production of bags.
Youth Empowerment
Commitment to Developing the Skills of Egyptian Youth
Through our partnership with Wataneya Association, GSEF supported Forsa program that builds the capacity of young orphans and helps them acquire necessary skills for the job market including winning resume and cover letter writing, as well as preparation for job interviews.
Digital Fabrication
• Fab Lab in New Cairo
GSEF, in coordination with Fab Lab Egypt, launched Fab Lab in New Cairo at Giza Systems headquarters. The lab carries state-of-the art digital fabrication and 3D printing equipment including laser cutters, 3D printers and a CNC precision milling machine.
Fab Labs foster creativity and create a space for innovation and collaboration in the community. Ultimately, they enhance the capacity and potential of the local workforce and provide opportunities for young entrepreneurs to create prototypes and turn their ideas into viable startups.
With the help and support of Fab Lab Egypt, Fab Lab in New Cairo is now an independent Fab Lab, adopting collaborative approaches with the various entities to foster innovation, support startups, empower youth and bring creation to life.
• Fab Lab on Wheels
GSEF, in partnership with Dell EMC and in coordination with Fab Lab Egypt, launched the Fab Lab on Wheels initiative in December 2016.
The initiative is the first of its kind in Egypt, consisting of a mobile Fab Lab housed in a bus, promoting the message of “Tour. Educate. Create.” The uniqueness of this project is its focus on bringing digital fabrication and entrepreneurship to the various communities in rural areas in Egypt.
Fab Lab on Wheels provides local communities with accessibility to practical workshops, awareness sessions, community events, and a maker diploma offered by Fab Lab Egypt. From engineering students and robotics enthusiasts, to handicraft makers and workshop owners, visitors are able to access the technology and fabrication machines to innovate and create enabling big data and cloud computing technology diffusion.
Enabling the Disabled
Making the Impossible Possible
In 2017, GSEF is planning to launch its initiative supporting Persons with Disabilities (PwD) under the slogan “Enabling the disabled through the utilization of digital fabrication technology”.
The proposed initiative aims to capitalize on the utilization of digital fabrication to enable the disabled by creating assistive devices and giving the power to (PwD) to revolutionize the products they use and make them highly customizable to suit their individual needs. The project also aims to engage the PwDs in product design and learning digital fabrication skills. Consequently, this will enable PwDs to join the workforce or become entrepreneurs in their own right.
Our Partners:
• Injaz Egypt
• Dell EMC
• Exploratory Centers for Science and Technology
• USAID SEED
• Misr El Kheir Foundation
• Wataneya Association for Orphanages Development
• Educate-Me Center
• Bibliotheca Alexandrina
• Nile University
• Microsoft Egypt
• Nestlé Egypt
• Fab Lab Egypt
• Terous Foundation
• Gerhart Centre, The American University in Cairo
• Academy of Scientific Research and Technology
• GIZ Egypt
• Ideas Gym
Sponsorship Programs
EcoChic
- How:
o We need your old billboard banners! If you have enough stock, we will be more than happy to take them off your hands
o Make your own branded bags for your employees
o Buy bags: for every bag you buy, we provide a bag to children in unprivileged areas
o Sponsor the project through sales in retail shops, fairs and open days
- Sponsorship package benefits:
o Recognizing partnership in all media
o An employee engaged opportunity to share while saving the environment
o Getting rid of your old banners which are taking up your storage space.
o Sharing brand awareness with the community.
Fab Lab on Wheels
- How:
o Sponsor a visit to a location: The bus tours Egypt visiting several destinations. These destinations will have access to the Fab Lab technology from a week to 2 months. During which the cost of the operations is completely funded and sponsored through a partner.
o Sponsor a Hackathon or a team in a Hackathon: During bus visits, Hackathons are arranged to develop and encourage the creativity environment within the place visited.
- Sponsorship package benefits: depending on type of sponsorship.
o Recognizing partnership in all media.
o Acknowledgement throughout the event
o Logo printed on volunteers and teams T-shirts
o Lunch boxes and free coffee break for your employees up to 2 representatives.
o 5 min speech on the opening ceremony
o Logo placement in all our promo videos with your sponsorship category
o Photograph with the organization representative with the attendees and organizing committee
Fab Labs
- How:
o Sponsor a certificate/individual: to develop entrepreneurial skills, a set of both technical and business skills development tracks are offered in each location. You can choose to sponsor a complete track or sponsor an individual in a complete track.
o Sponsor a Hackathon or a team in a Hackathon: annual Hackathons in each individual Fab Lab or the Hackathon between the winners of each Fab Lab the following year.
o Sponsor a competition: annually the Fab Lab announces competitions between different targeted communities. Each competition represent a sponsorship opportunities.
- Sponsorship package benefits: depending on type of sponsorship.
o Recognizing partnership in all media.
o Acknowledgement throughout the event
o Logo printed on volunteers and teams T-shirts
o Lunch boxes and free coffee break for your employees up to 2 representatives.
o 5 min speech on the opening ceremony
o Logo placement in all our promo videos with your sponsorship category
o Photograph with the organization representative with the attendees, teams and organizing committee
Enabling the Disabled
- How:
o Finance the R&D department working on developing mobility aids for Persons with Disability (PwD)
o Sponsor a product line (prosthetics, customized wheelchairs, bionic eye devices, sonic gadgets, joysticks, cups, utensils, or one of the many other tools) and be the one to name it
- Sponsorship package benefits:
o Recognizing partnership in all media
o An employee engaged opportunity to share while saving the environment
o Getting rid of your old banners which are taking up your storage space
o Sharing brand awareness with the community
