Vodafone Egypt Foundation in partnership with the Ministry of Youth has recently signed a Protocol of Cooperation for its One Million Campaign "Egyptians are Learning" which is part of Vodafone Egypt's Knowledge is Power initiative. The Ministry of Youth will appoint two facilitators in each directorate to support and facilitate the campaign's activities. Knowledge is power initiative is partnering with the General Authority for Literacy and Adult Education and is implementing its activities by offering grants to development implementing partners. The initiative aims at eradicating illiteracy in Egypt within five years since its start in 2011 for the benefit of 17 million Egyptians, an achievement considered fundamental for the economic growth of the country. The project is so far the biggest of its kind, being implemented in 18 governorates, and has been delivered through literacy classes as well as the development of a mobile application to facilitate learning of reading and writing.
The pilot phase of the project has been implemented by Life Makers Foundation, and its aim was to build the capacity of 15,000 youth to hold literacy classes for 120,000 beneficiaries. The pilot phase has exceeded expectations, and it reached more than 128,000 beneficiaries throughout the country. The partnership between Vodafone Foundation and Life Makers Foundation has been renewed in mid-2013 and the project is still ongoing, thanks to the capacity of Life Makers to mobilize and build capacity of youth in community services as key facilitators. In 2013, Vodafone Foundation also partnered with the Coptic Evangelical Organization for Social Service (CEOSS), which has a long history in the field of education and literacy programs, to expand the activities and reach out to more beneficiaries thanks to its capacity to work at a grassroots level. Rotary Club also recently partnered with Vodafone Foundation within the Knowledge is Power initiative, focusing on literacy for people with disabilities in an effort to promote inclusion of marginalized groups.
