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Self-sufficient Erasmus+ Networks: Volunteer Training on Effective Fundraising Strategies

On 17-20 March 2022, over 20 Erasmus+ students and alumni from Asia, Africa and Europe gathered in Cairo, Egypt to learn about fundraising and the various sources of funding that can support Erasmus+ students, alumni and youth organisations to develop activities. The event was a place to share knowledge and exchange ideas, with the objective that the participants and their respective organisations would be capable of organising more activities in the future.

It was a sunny day when the organisers, trainers and volunteers welcomed the participants in Cairo, Egypt. The training began with exploring the basics of fundraising through interactive discussions facilitated by two international youth trainers. After that, all participants were assigned to different teams, which worked together during daily discussion sessions, sharing knowledge as well as addressing fundraising issues in their respective contexts. The main purpose of these activities was to identify and analyse the challenges each organisation faced related to fundraising, and together develop an action plan through which they could implement solutions.

Besides the training activities, the event programme also offered the participants a unique opportunity to engage in discussions with high-level representatives of the Egyptian Ministry of Social Solidarity and of the Ministry of Youth and Sports. During these discussions, the participants were able to learn more about the youth and civil society sector in Egypt, including the recently adopted National Youth Strategy.

Erasmus OCEANS Fundraising Training
Dialogue session with Egyptian Ministry representatives.

Overall, the event was a big success: Beside providing the participants with new knowledge on fundraising and event management, the project was able to contribute towards building mutual understanding between cultures and promoting peace and respect between people. During the event, the participants exchanged information about their countries and cultures, and learned especially more about Egyptian and Mediterranean culture.

Erasmus OCEANS Fundraising WS 3
Intercultural coffee break.

The Erasmus+ Fundraising Training was organised by Oscar Boije from the OCEANS Network, in partnership with the Mediterranean Youth Foundation (MYF). The project was funded by the European Union, through the Erasmus+ Students and Alumni Alliance (ESAA), and it also counted with the support of the Egyptian Ministry of Social Solidarity and the Egyptian Ministry of Youth and Sports.

Erasmus OCEANS Fundraising WS 4
Participants visiting the Great Pyramids of Giza.


Reported by Uswa Alhamid, OCEANS Network member

More information on ESAA and OCEANS Network.