Cairo, Egypt - May 15, 2011 Over 150 Barclay's employees volunteered to plant 350 palm trees in the area of Wadi El Natroun over 2 Saturdays in April. The project is part of the Charity Begins at Work programme at Barclays encouraging employees to take an active part in community investment. Specifically the project was part of the employee volunteering scheme where Barclay's employees receive funding to carry out the projects of their choice. Employees raised over EGP 30k which went to the funding of 350 palm and olive trees.
Ayman Mahana, HR Director and team leader of this sustainable project stated "the revenue from the plantation, which contains palm trees that can live up to 70 years, will go towards the local community. It will help with school fees, literacy classes for gifted students, marriage expenses, and other social needs".
Barclay's involvement in this projects stems from the belief in supporting sustainable income generating projects in local communities. Special attention is given to projects that will continue to provide sustenance for the community long after the initial investment is made. The project will also enable the community to come together, as the trees will be cared for and looked after by the local community.
In 2010, over 450 individuals were employed through various projects, including bee-keeping in Minya, machine repair in Beni Suef, ready made garments in Fayoum, and alabaster in Luxor. In 2011, Barclays will continue to develop the next generation of youth by investing in income generating projects and employability programs for the youth.
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For more information contact:
Sarah Ibrahim
Senior Public & Media Relations Manager
Barclays Bank Egypt S.A.E.
Tel: +202 25351901
Cell: +2 0100079155
Email: sarah.ibrahim@barclays.com
Website: www.barclays.com/eg
© Press Release 2011
