Spreading Smiles VIA their 2020 Agenda

 By: Omar ElHusseini

@OmarElHusseinii

AUC club Volunteers in Action (VIA), which has been assisting orphanages in Egypt since 1996, will this year launch a special search for young talent as well as host a job fair on campus.

VIA provides services such as housing, bridal preparation, wedding ceremonies, social awareness and roofing in underdeveloped areas, and has always kept children at the heart of these endeavors.   

The Head of VIA’s Children Committee, Salma Wafa, explained that the committee offers a series of activities including one-on-one English sessions, special events, and trips to Fayoum and Alexandria.

The English sessions and orphanage visits require sustained effort in order to create meaningful impact with the orphan children.

“To produce impact we must be consistent, in addition leaving the children or visiting them only once may cause them emotional harm,” Wafa said.

While there is a large number of orphanages in Egypt, it is likely that the farther they are from the metropolitan areas the more deteriorated and in need of assistance they will be.

“VIA tries to strike a balance between the area being close, so that AUCians can go visit, and it being in need,” Wafa said.

Wafa added that part of their 2020 agenda includes a “Children’s Got Talent” project, where members of VIA go to orphanages and scout for bright and skilled children.

AUC’s New Cairo campus will then host a show for the children to showcase their talents.

“[This] will expose them to different majors and career paths, hoping they grow up having ambitions and goals in life,” she said.

In the past year, VIA conducted three major events geared toward educational development.

Children’s Day, for example, includes a number of fun games and activities that help enhance team-building skills. Another is Pro-Earth Day which discusses environmental issues such as plastic use, global warming and bullying. 

Wafa believes Pro-Earth Day to be significant because it discusses issues the children are not usually exposed to, but presented in a fun and inclusive environment. 

“Orphan development has always been at the core of VIA’s activities ever since it started on campus 23 years ago,” said VIA club president Menna Soliman.

The last event, conducted at the end of each year, is the Wedding Ceremony for orphaned women. 

The ceremony, Soliman says, is a process that helps orphaned young adults in underprivileged areas prepare for marriage.

“[We help in] their purchase of clothing to electrical devices and furniture, afterwhich, a wedding ceremony for multiple women is then held on AUC’s New Cairo campus,” Soliman said. 

Soliman also added that VIA has taken over organizing the Tunis Carnival in Fayoum, 

“The Carnival is held every year and was held this year for the ninth time. The carnival is mainly for children and women from small neighboring villages who sell their products, including pottery and handmade products. VIA took full organizational control, from sending volunteers to everything else that had to do with the carnival,” Soliman said.

Nouran Hassan, the Office of Student Life advisor for VIA, believes that while she is the advisor for all community service clubs, active and inactive, she believes that VIA is one of the most organized. 

Hassan finds this to be due to senior members and alumni passing on their experiences. 

“That’s why VIA remains at a certain level of quality, will make our 2020 agenda go even more smoothly and produce impact since we build upon each other rather than start over,” Soliman said.