Combat Illegal Migration Program
The foundation launched the “WARSHA” program, which aims to combat irregular migration through the economic empowerment of informal laborers and supporting them in all possible ways. The program includes free training in industrial trades, handicrafts, and entrepreneurship, and offers free services such as English language courses, programming, graphic design, and free legal support. This is achieved by providing vocational training to build skilled and professional cadres, as well as training to develop interpersonal skills and raise awareness about the risks and impacts of irregular migration and human trafficking. The program encourages youth to stay by enhancing their professional and artisanal levels through training and qualification, motivating them to engage in national projects, and learning skilled handicrafts such as copper engraving, manufacturing natural cosmetic products, perfumes, leatherwork, macramé, and punch needlework, among other crafts.
As part of the WARSHA program, the Independent Organization International signed a cooperation protocol with the Ministry of Labor, represented by the Central Administration for Vocational Training, to implement the vocational training offered by the foundation within the Ministry’s vocational training centers.
An agreement was reached to conduct several workshops in various fields aimed at developing young people’s skills to help them improve their job prospects. The workshops included training in multiple trades such as leather product manufacturing, copper engraving, copper jewelry making, perfume making, car mechanics, mobile phone repair, home appliance repair, oxygen/electric/argon welding, computer and IT skills, CNC turning, satellite dish repair, tailoring, and sewing.
The Independent Organization International, through the WARSHA program, operates four training programs that include vocational training, handicrafts, entrepreneurship, and providing free legal consultations to informal laborers and their families.
The first phase of the program was implemented in 2022 – 2023 in the governorates of Cairo, Giza, Alexandria, and Port Said. A total of 1,222 trainees participated in the training sessions, which amounted to 323 training days and 1,347 training hours. The training covered areas such as entrepreneurship, leather crafts, copper engraving, manufacturing natural cosmetic products, perfume making, English language courses, embroidery, photography, air conditioning and refrigeration, car mechanics, and mobile phone repair.
The second phase of the program, which began at the end of 2023 and will continue until the end of 2024, was developed to include workshops in fields such as programming, graphic design, and tailoring in the governorates of Cairo, Alexandria, Luxor, and Minya. By the end of June, 1,042 trainees had participated in the training sessions, totaling 88 training days and 337 training hours, across 32 lectures on topics such as combating irregular migration, entrepreneurship, online marketing, leather crafts, macramé, punch needlework, graphic design, and programming.
The Independent Organization International contributed to enriching discussions on various social issues by organizing several seminars titled:
- The Legislative and Institutional Impact of the Unified Violence Law.
- The Legislative and Institutional Impact of the New Personal Status Law.
- Converting In-kind Support to Cash in Egypt: Economic Benefits and Social Challenges.
To develop young people’s skills in line with modern employment requirements, the Independent Organization International signed a cooperation protocol with “Offensecrest,” a leader in cybersecurity solutions, to train and qualify young people in programming.
The foundation also aims to hold more workshops in several governorates in Upper Egypt in the coming months.
The first program working on combating illegal migration through economic empowerment of irregular labor
