Yesterday, the Azza Fahmy Foundation for the Development of Handicraft Industries held the closing ceremony of the “Qualifying Young Craftsmen in the Field of Jewelry Making” project in partnership with the Swiss Drosos Foundation.
The project spanned five years and aimed to provide training opportunities for young people in jewelry making, meet the local market’s needs with qualified young craftsmen, and help graduates establish small projects and market emerging brands.
The project had three main goals: to provide training and qualification opportunities in the jewelry industry, create employment opportunities, and assist graduates in establishing small projects and marketing emerging brands. The Azza Fahmy Foundation provided the training and qualification, while the Swiss Drosos Foundation financed the project.
Over six batches, a total of 91 trainees received training in jewelry making and its various specializations, with each batch having a six-month training period. The project also selected approximately 40 trainees to receive a design training scholarship within the Azza Fahmy Design Studio.
Initially scheduled for three years starting in 2019, the project was extended for about five years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which made it challenging to provide industry training services online. However, the fruitful results of the project encouraged the Azza Fahmy Foundation and the Drosos Foundation to consider continuing the project to provide training and qualification grants during the coming period in light of the market’s need for qualified craftsmen to strengthen the jewelry industry in Egypt.
The Azza Fahmy Foundation has several partnerships and collaborations with different parties to provide training grants in preserving, reviving, and developing traditional crafts to meet the industry’s needs. These include the Aswan Jewelry Project, a partnership between the Sawiris Foundation and the Bank of Alexandria.
The Azza Fahmy Foundation for the Development of Handicraft Industries was established in 2012 to preserve Egyptian traditional crafts, which are an integral part of cultural heritage. It is a non-profit organization registered with the Ministry of Social Solidarity. The Foundation works to build the capabilities and skills of young people with limited opportunities to create a new generation of goldsmiths.
