Global Citizenship
AFS Egypt is a voluntary, non-governmental, non-profit entity that provides
intercultural learning opportunities to help people develop the knowledge, skills and
understanding needed to create a more just and peaceful world. AFS Egypt is the national office of AFS International which is made up of 52 partner organizations – with presence in six continents – coordinating 13,000 exchange paths between eighty countries around the globe every year with a vast experience in the world of youth exchange, since 1919.
Our programs, in Egypt, began in 1959, working on hosting and sending over 900 young people. AFS Egypt is responsible for sending Egyptian youth on cultural exchange programs all over the globe to over fifty countries. In addition, we host young adults from abroad who have a strong desire to learn about and understand the culture of Egypt. These young leaders live with an Egyptian family and either volunteer their time to work on community-based projects in the area or attend an academic year in an Egyptian high-school. They leave Egypt with a sense of commitment to global development issues and a true understanding of Egyptian culture and values.
AFS Egypt is volunteer-based comprised of host families, host schools, volunteers, and staff. Most volunteers are people whose lives have been touched in some way by an exchange experience.
Today, more than ever, our mission is vital to uniting people of the world. Our mission is to value, appreciate and respect diversity of all kinds so that everyone involved in our activities will have the opportunity to gain new insights and perspectives. It is rooted in the ability to give individuals the chance to gain a global understanding essential for creating future leaders.
In the past two years, we have been able to host and send over 100 students. Egypt’s young ambassadors to the World come from all over the country, both boys and girls and from diverse socio-economic backgrounds. We also offer opportunities for students with disabilities. These opportunities are made possible through strong support from the Ministry of Education, and scholarships funded by the US, the EU and locally raised funds. The achievements of these students are outstanding and we believe that they have made a difference. They have added precious bricks to the bridges of understanding that we are building between the diverse cultures of the World.
Through our pre-departure orientation camps, we educate our future leaders about mutual respect and understanding, leadership skills and necessary basics for the start of their yearlong adventurous experience with one ultimate objective to learn to live together.
Did you know that in the 1990’s AFS began its Community Service Programs and extended its network to 52 countries.