This New Egyptian Platform Connects Users With Over 20 NGOs They Can Donate to this Ramadan

Two Egyptian twenty-year-olds have joined hands this Ramadan to produce an online platform connecting donors with charity events and organisations. "We found that there are many people out there who want to help and participate in charity events but don't where to go and what to do," Amina Badawi tells Startup Scene ME. "Echo will help inform them of the events and donation campaigns happening around them, and allow them to post photos of unwanted items to donate," she explains, anticipating the launch of the platform tonight. 

Badawi and Menna Ayman have been friends for seven years, sharing their love for doing good and participating in charity events and campaigns, which is among the many things they have in common. “Crazily enough, we found out that we’ve been working separately on the same start-up idea! Luckily we found out just before our launch dates, and decided to join forces to create ‘Echo’. With the spirit of getting together and giving back, we felt that Ramadan is the perfect time to launch this startup."

Badawi, who is studying Economics and Finance at University of Kent, has had always been involved with organising charity events. Two Ramadans ago, she organised and participated in a charity event to revamp Abol Reesh Hospital, one of Cairo’s emblematic hospitals for children. "It came to my attention when I organized that first event, looking forward to as few as 10 or 15 people, participants had completely outnumbered my expectations, for that event and all the ones that followed," Badawi said. "That’s when I realised that I want to make giving back more accessible for everyone, and decided to start this platform." In 2016, Ayman was sitting on her bed, with her laptop on her lap, trying to plan out her winter break. She realised it takes such a great amount of time and effort to decide where to volunteer, bits and strips of information were scattered all over the worldwide web. "That is when I thought of creating a website to collect all those events and campaigns to donate and participate in," Ayman said. 

"Studying Psychology, Sociology and Community Development at The American University in Cairo helped me understand that building a community must not be measured by the amount of money, rather by sustainable development," she elaborates. So far, Echo has been kickstarted with the girls' personal investments and as the startup becomes more active, they look forward to partnerships with advertisers and sponsors to keep Echo up and running for as long as good deeds shall live. 

Find out more on the initiative to be launched tonight here. 

Main image courtesy of Echo.