Agazabegad aims to help young people spend productive vacations. CAIRO: Summer vacations are on and many young people are thinking about how to spend it constructively But however serious and worthwhile the new plans are, whether you're making them on your own or with a small group of friends, it's always a big challenge. The good news is, young students on vacation can get involved in a variety of activities as well as get rewarded for coming up with ideal plans to take advantage of the summer vacation through www.agazabegad.com. All they need to do is join the three-month Agazabegad Festival between 10-11 July at Sawi Cultural Center in Zamalek, to showcase the relevant activities. The event will also announce the 50 winning plans submitted by participants on how to hone young people's talents during the vacation. The event is sponsored by the National Council for Youth, Development No Borders Association and Al Sawi Cultural Center. Besides Development No borders Association, other youth-related organizations will also participate in the festival to show their agendas. Hassan Ali, one of the event's active assistants said: "Last year Agazabegad launched on a small scale with a limited range of activities to draw attention to the importance of channeling the energy of young people. "This year, however, we decided to operate extensively by enabling the beneficiaries themselves to suggest their own plans and express their opinion. They are the best to know what really suits their abilities and ambitions, he added. "We are encouraging interested groups to access our website. They can send their own suggestions online or by mail until the end of June, said Ali The winners will spend a holiday at Sharm El Sheikh and a specialized committee will start looking into their plans with the aim of putting them into practice. Dr Ahmed Gamal, director-general of Development No Borders Association believes that the three-month vacation can be very effective either positively or negatively in young people s lives; on the other hand they can just pass by, as if they didn't exist. "Having dealt with young people in several activities, Development No Borders Association realized that there s a lack of awareness about useful summer activities. He pointed out that although several youth organizations offer many opportunities, these opportunities either don't interest young people or even come to their knowledge. "School and university students from 18-25 years old who long to benefit from their summer vacation don't find the useful channels for that. "Agaza Begad festival aims, therefore, at informing young people about the importance of planning their vacation, and spending it in trainings related to their field of study to help them compete in the job market. "We also lay emphasis on protecting young people from free time threats such as violence and addiction. We also stress the importance of summer jobs that help young people deal with others and generate their own income which lead will boost their self-confidence and independence, he elaborated. Gamal added that the festival stresses promoting young people s cultural awareness and creative thinking through several educational and recreational activities giving them the chance to share and exchange experiences. We also encourage the spirit of teamwork and bolster pro-activity through several group events that steer young people to use their vacation in collective activities rather than having individual plans.
