“Supporting people so that they can live in dignity”

Dr Sahar Aly manages the Egyptian-German Center for Jobs, Migration and Reintegration (EGC) in Cairo. Here she tells us about the work done by her and her seven-strong team.

Dr Aly, what support does the EGC provide to people seeking advice?
We focus on three areas. The first is providing individual and group advice to people on site. This includes a guidance workshop and training for all those who are job hunting or would like to start their own business. The second area is counselling and preparing people who are interested in regular channels of migration to Germany. Our third aspect is enabling the social and vocational reintegration of returnees. My team is currently creating a database containing all the relevant information people will need after arriving back in Egypt.

What is your specific approach to counselling?
Initially it’s about providing people with accurate and reliable information. Then we have to consider each case individually: what qualifications does the person have, what opportunities do they have in the job market and what financing models are there regarding self-employment, for example? Excellent communication is the most important thing here.

Where do you get your own advice about designing your services?
We have an active network, and we're in contact with colleagues through bilateral GIZ projects in Egypt and other advice centres in the MENA region but also in South East Europe. We like to cooperate and exchange ideas about people's previous experiences and difficulties. As a new center in Cairo, we can learn and benefit from that.

What motivates you in your work?
We can achieve a positive social impact, which is an amazing reward. It’s all about helping young people. We assist them in finding a job and want to give them a chance. It’s also about human dignity – some people don’t have a choice when they decide to leave their country, their family and their friends. Our task is to support people in choosing their own path so that they can live in dignity.

As of: 12/2020

Initially it’s about providing people with accurate and reliable information. Excellent communication is the most important thing here.

Sahar Aly