CAIRO: RWE Dea announced yesterday, in a press conference at the Conrad Hotel, plans to sponsor primary schools in Greater Cairo as part of its Social Activities Project, which focuses on improving children's lives through education. The German natural gas and crude oil exploration and production company is an international operation. RWE Dea has maintained a presence in Egypt since 1974. "In 2006 we worked with 13 schools . I think we will change our strategy a little bit, Teti Moussa, the RWE Dea Social Project Leader, told The Daily Star Egypt. "We don't want to stretch our cooperation by [a few] chairs here and desks there. Our new idea is that we will focus on one or two schools and do everything in those schools. In 2006, RWE Dea, in cooperation with GTZ (Deustsche Geselischaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit/German Technical Cooperation) chose to extend their support to 13 primary schools in informal communities in Greater Cairo. Their assistance was tailored to meet the needs of each school from basic classroom necessities such as new chairs and desks to complete building renovations. Washrooms were revamped, floor tiles replaced, walls painted and sewage facilities and water supply systems were all updated as part of RWE Dea's efforts in Abou Rawash and El Salam City. In Boulaq El Dakrour and Manshiet Nasser, in addition to improving the school buildings, the company sent equipment and created computer labs. "We chose schools in the informal areas, not in the usual areas, because of our idea of how to participate in a developing society: it starts from the schools and from the children, said Moussa. "They are the ladies and gentleman of tomorrow. Last year, RWE Dea spent approximately LE 500,000 on social activities. The company hopes to match or supersede its initial investment in the years to come. The Social Activities Project is still in its infancy and until now its focus has only been on the tangible aspects of the schools they assist. Though the program does not include local coordinators or teacher incentives which could promote sustainability after RWE Dea moves on to the next school, Moussa said that it is in contact with the headmasters of each school and has offered prizes to the schools that best maintain the renovations and additions provided by RWE Dea. "We started with schools at the beginning, especially primary schools, said Moussa. "I see urgency also in the sector of health and handicapped children, but this has to wait. We need to settle and to see the ground under our feet at the start, and then in the near future in one, two, three years we may shift to the health sector. The company hopes to increase its gas and crude oil exploration and production, especially in North Africa, over the next ten years. Its current projects in Egypt are located along the northern coast and in the western desert. "We have set ourselves an ambitious target, namely to grow continually for the next ten years, and it is planned to spend up to 600 million euros each year to do so, said Harald Graeser, general manager of corporate communications for RWE Dea. "A substantial share of organic growth will come from our gas fields in offshore Egypt and our gas discoveries in Algeria, hopefully followed by more oil and/or gas discoveries in Libya.
