Prof. Dr. Mostafa Refaat, Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Universities, attended the closing ceremony of the competition for the Project to Enhance Egypt's Family Planning Program (SEFPP)
The event was attended by Prof. Dr. Abla El-Alfy, Deputy Minister of Health and Population for Population Affairs and Chairperson of the National Population Council, as well as vice presidents of universities, representatives from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and the Director of the SEFPP project.
This competition is the result of the Youth of Egypt Initiative, launched under the auspices of the Supreme Council of Universities in collaboration with the National Population Council and supported by USAID through the SEFPP project. The initiative aligns with the directives of the President of the Republic concerning reproductive health, family planning, and raising awareness among young people, encouraging them to innovate and create awareness campaigns and pioneering community initiatives to raise public awareness about population and family planning issues.
Prof. Dr. Mostafa Refaat, in his speech, expressed his happiness with the contributions of the youth participating in the competition and congratulated the winning teams. He praised the vital role of Egyptian universities students in promoting health messages within their communities, emphasizing that this initiative reflects the belief in empowering young people and giving them the opportunity to participate in shaping a better future for Egypt, and contributing in finding innovative solutions to the difficulties that face Egypt in this manner. This consequently aims to enhance community awareness of population issues and improve the quality of health services provided to citizens.
The competition witnessed wide participation from students across Egyptian universities, highlighting their passion and interest in population and reproductive health issues. The projects submitted were characterized by creativity and innovation, offering new and innovative solutions to the challenges Egypt faces in this field.
Prof. Dr. Refaat commended the efforts made in this initiative, considering it an important step towards achieving sustainable development in Egypt by adhering to the national population program and involving universities in addressing social issues, helping develop students' skills, integrate them into problem-solving for societal challenges, and deepen their sense of belonging and readiness to work on innovative ideas for awareness campaigns or community initiatives. These initiatives use various means, such as arts, music, sports, and technology, to address Egypt's population growth and promote youth empowerment, innovation, and entrepreneurship.
He concluded his speech by thanking all parties involved in the success of this initiative and expressed his hope that this competition would serve as a model for other areas, encouraging all young people to continue their creativity and innovation to build a better future for Egypt.
The ceremony also included a documentary film about the youth competition and the various initiatives presented by the students. Awards and certificates of appreciation were distributed to the winning teams.
It is worth mentioning that the university youth competition for the SEFPP project was launched in 2021 with USAID support. The competition was implemented in partnership with the Supreme Council of Universities and the National Population Council. The aim is to enhance Egyptian youth's knowledge of family planning and reproductive health through an organized approach involving training and awareness campaigns, ultimately selecting the best youth team for the final award. This approach that focuses on sustainability, competition, and knowledge-building to motivate university students to strive for excellence.
After the successful first round of the competition in December 2021, a judging panel consisting of representatives from the National Population Council and the Supreme Council of Universities was formed to establish the university youth competition as a national initiative. It was officially launched across all Egyptian universities in August 2022.
General Administration of the Secretary-General's Office Public Relations Department
