Enactus Egypt has held an annual competition in the country for more than four years, and this year's winner is the French University team. More than 40 universities entered the competition, presenting a minimum of two projects to a judging committee. The French University won first place this year, followed by Suez University, with Cairo University ranking in fifth place. The projects should be economically, socially and environmentally beneficial to society. Enactus is an international non-profit organisation that brings together student, academic and business leaders committed to using entrepreneurial action to improve the lives of others. Before 2012, it was known as Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE). Some 1,600 universities in more than 36 countries around the world take part. Omar Hosny, public-relations head of the French University, said it was not the first time that a university team had won the Enactus national competition and gone on to the World Cup abroad. “We are the only university in the world that has won the World Cup in two successive years, in this case 2009 and 2010,” he said. This year, the team presented a project for a pedal-powered washing machine targeting low-income communities. “In these communities, people spend so much time hand-washing their clothes that they either end up with terrible back pain or even become paralysed,” Hosny said. In response, the team invented a washer powered by a pedal, with the operator being able to sit down while using it and avoiding the use of the hands. Its second project was the construction of a beehive that encourages owners to make therapeutic use of bee venom. The third, dubbed “the wicker,” uses palm-tree fronds to produce particleboard wood. “We are starting a workshop to make this material in Fayoum,” Hosny said. The team will soon be travelling, along with other winners, around the world to the World Cup competition in October in Beijing. Mahmoud Badr, president of the Enactus team at Suez University, which won second place, described the projects produced by his team. The first involved a solar-powered desalination unit made of fibreglass. “We wanted to come up with something to help our community in Suez and Al-Arish at a cheap price, so we came up with this idea, which will cost a lot less for a lot of people,” Badr said. People in Al-Arish fill 17-litre water tanks at their homes for a price of LE200, though the water only lasts for a couple of days. The invention allows them to produce water using solar desalination. Badr said that the Enactus programme has given him and his peers the opportunity to “develop a project from A to Z.” “It has given me the chance to learn in a different way. It has helped me to think in a creative manner and produce valuable projects that will make our society better,” he said, adding that the university's team was given the title of Outstanding Team for Growth this year. Cairo University took fifth place in this year's competition. Mahmoud Abu Al-Wafa, vice-president of Enactus at Cairo University, described the two projects the team submitted. The first project uses an aquaponics system to produce organic foods such as celery, dill and different types of lettuce. All the water used is recycled. The idea was not only to produce nutritious vegetables, but also to help deal with the country's water crisis. In past years, the team has set up an employment centre in the Kafr Hakim area of Cairo, providing useful income-generating opportunities. Another project looked at the problem of illegal emigration by raising awareness of the problem and also working with local villagers in the Fayoum to provide alternative options for those considering leaving the country. The Cairo University team won the Enactus national competition in 2011 and it aims to do so again next year, Al-Wafa said. The writer is a freelance journalist.
