Dr. Maya Morsy, Egypt’s Minister of Social Solidarity, attended the awards ceremony of the Civil Society Excellence Award, organized by the Development and Growth Association, where winners of the 2025 edition were officially announced. The event marked the ninth year of the prestigious competition, held under the patronage of the Ministry of Social Solidarity and attended by senior figures from Egypt’s civil society and development sectors.
Speaking at the ceremony, Minister Morsy expressed her pleasure at participating in the celebration, describing the award as a key platform for honoring outstanding initiatives and innovative projects that have contributed to advancing development across Egyptian communities. She emphasized that excellence in civil society work represents a form of public service measured by trust, quality, and measurable impact.
The minister noted that the Excellence Awards send a clear message about the evolving role of civil society organizations when they move from local initiatives to scalable, replicable impact models that deliver high-quality services. Over its nine editions, the competition has become a mirror reflecting the seriousness, professionalism, and growing maturity of Egypt’s civil society, highlighting excellence in planning, governance, and impact measurement. She added that this aligns with the state’s vision of strengthening partnerships with civil society organizations to implement priority social programs based on transparent standards and measurable outcomes.
Minister Morsy also highlighted the introduction of two new award categories this year. The first recognizes organizations for lifetime achievements, honoring entities that have demonstrated sustainability, governance development, and long-term community impact supported by strong volunteer networks. The second category focuses on rapid-impact initiatives, recognizing emerging organizations that have successfully delivered innovative, cost-effective solutions addressing urgent community needs.
During her remarks, the minister invited civil society organizations to participate in the second phase of the “Ahl El-Kheir for Feeding” competition, organized in cooperation with the Fund for Supporting Projects of Associations and Civil Institutions. The competition aims to select the most impactful feeding campaigns ahead of the upcoming Ramadan season. She noted that the first phase saw participation from 530 associations, initiatives, and institutions, resulting in the distribution of more than 52 million meals during last Ramadan.
Dr. Morsy underscored that Egypt’s civil society tradition spans nearly two centuries, evolving from charitable initiatives outside the state framework to a fully integrated development partner working alongside government institutions. Today, civil society plays a strategic role in planning and implementing large-scale national projects in sectors such as health, education, infrastructure, and grassroots development, reflecting Egypt’s modern development model based on government–community integration.
She also referenced Law No. 149 of 2019, which regulates civil society work and provides a modern legal framework guaranteeing freedom of establishment, transparency, accountability, and protection from unjustified administrative interference. The law also enables organizations to participate freely in national development projects and access local and international funding within a robust governance framework.
Minister Morsy concluded that building the “New Republic” requires transforming ideas into sustainable services and individual efforts into measurable, long-term impact—an equation that balances social protection, economic empowerment, and human dignity.
She extended her appreciation to the Development and Growth Association, its Chairman Mohamed Farouk Hafez, the organizing team, and the judging committees for their professional efforts in delivering the awards process.
For his part, Mohamed Farouk Hafez noted that this year witnessed broad participation from organizations across multiple governorates, reflecting a noticeable improvement in the quality and reach of civil society work in Egypt. He stressed that empowering civil society organizations represents a direct investment in sustainable development and community resilience.
2025 Award Winners
In the Main Excellence Award category, the winners were:
- Bashandi Community Development Association (New Valley)
- Scientific Association for the Care of Cancer Patients (Fayoum)
- Integrated Healthcare Association for Cancer Patients (Dakhla)
- Al-Firdous Association for Sustainable Development
These organizations received financial awards, while associations ranked from fifth to eleventh received certificates of appreciation.
In the Lifetime Achievement Excellence Award, launched for the first time this year, Ajyal Al-Mostaqbal Association (Qena Governorate) won a financial prize in recognition of its long-standing development work and sustained community impact.
The Rapid Impact Excellence Award was awarded to Sanad Foundation for Comprehensive Development (Alexandria) for successfully delivering a project that achieved fast, tangible results in addressing a pressing social issue.
The award for Best Awareness Campaign went to Misr Bokra for Development Association (Giza). In-kind awards were presented to Assiut Businesswomen Association, Amal Misr Foundation for Development, Al-Goura Community Development Association (North Sinai), and Eshrakat Hayah Community Development Association (El-Badary). Certificates of appreciation were awarded to Jannat Al-Kholoud Charity Association (Cairo) and the Arab Women’s League Association.
The ceremony was attended by senior officials and public figures, including Ayman Abdel Mawgoud, Permanent Undersecretary of the Ministry of Social Solidarity; Dr. Niazi Salam, Chairman of the Egyptian Food Bank; Dr. Talaat Abdel Qawi, Head of the General Federation of NGOs; Lamis Negm, Advisor to the Chairman of the Financial Regulatory Authority; former Environment Minister Laila Iskandar; and a wide range of representatives from development institutions and partner organizations.
