‘Youth Love Egypt’ raises awareness on Fayoum reserves

CAIRO – 27 June 2018: Over the past nine months, the Youth Love Egypt Foundation, a foundation that observes the environment on behalf of the United Nations, has successfully raised awareness among more than 125,0000 visitors of Wadi El-Rayyan and Qaroun Lake in Fayoum.

This awareness campaign comes after Youth Love Egypt Foundation signed a protocol of cooperation with the Egyptian-Italian cooperation project and the Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency to document, photograph, monitor and raise awareness within Fayoum reserves. The protocol lasts for one year and started September 25, 2017.

Youth Love Egypt devoted their efforts by providing their members for four days every week, between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m., to work and volunteer within the protected areas to teach visitors about how to preserve them, as well as about their history and all information visitors might be looking for. Between these hours, to raise awareness and spread positive habits, the foundation met visitors on the buses and talked to them about the importance of preserving the reserve and how they can safely enjoy their time there, warning them of the dangers that could arise from jumping into the waterfalls and of the very real possibility of drowning.


The role of Youth Loves Egypt is providing its awareness and education with regard to environmental issues, and nature reserves in particular. - Press Photo

After 1 p.m. and until the end of the day, the team would then conduct awareness campaign within the reserve.

Furthermore, the team also spread awareness about how they can keep the reserve clean and minimize their footprint on the location. They also provided garbage baskets in appropriate locations to prevent the spread of garbage and environmental violations, which negatively affects the reserve, in addition to raising the efficiency of health facilities and toilets.

They also advised those riding small boats to ensure that they keep to safety regulations, including keeping to the advised number of passengers in the boat.

The team also directed motorists and street sellers to comply with the places allocated to them.


The awareness campaign meeting visitors on buses. - Press Photo

The Foundation advised through a recommendation brief submitted to the Ministry of Environment and the Egyptian-Italian cooperation project of the need to have a boat with a rescue team with the necessary equipment to ensure the safety of visitors, and to identify places for visitors to stand and prevent their presence in dangerous areas.

The efforts of the organization really paid off, whereby they saw real results and change in front of their eyes. For example, the efforts of the organization led the so-called ‘color war’, which was typically carried out in the reserve as a recreational activity and directly harms the environment and the natural reserve, to stop.

The Youth Foundation in Egypt thanked the EEAA, the Natural Reserves Sector, the Fayoum Reserves Administration and the Egyptian-Italian cooperation project for their continued cooperation of the Protocol's success.


The awareness campaign was carried out in Wadi El-Rayyan and Qaroun Lake in Fayoum. - Press Photo

This comes as part of the role of civil society organizations in the government's involvement in awareness-raising and development in all different sectors.

The role of Youth Loves Egypt is providing its awareness and education with regard to environmental issues, and nature reserves in particular.

“According to the protocol, the ministry is concerned with the provision of environmental researchers and transfers within the reserve,” said Ahmed Fathi, president of Youth Love Egypt, which is concerned with designing and printing awareness-raising brochures on conservation literature.

Youth Love Egypt are interested in devoting their efforts by providing their members for four days every week to work and volunteer within the protected areas to teach visitors about how to preserve them, as well as about their history and all information visitors might be looking for.


The campaign has been going on for nine months. - Press Photo