Makharita is a new graduate of the Faculty of Science at Zagazig University. She is a 22-year-old woman who has decided with her teammates to launch a mobile application that enables people with autism and their families to find the best emotional coaching available.
“We wanted to blend technology with the rehabilitation of people with disabilities, so we talked with the parents and social circles of such people. We know more about their problems and issues now, and we are trying to solve them through our channel, Galsa,” said Aya Makharita, CEO and founder of galsa.com.
She and her teammates at galsa.com started their project last year, wanting to help bridge the gap between professionals and people with disabilities.
“We wanted to help people with autism and people with disabilities because they are not the only ones who are suffering. There are also their families and their circles of friends. That’s why we thought of launching galsa.com, where they can have one place to reach out to when they want to ask and consult about anything,” Makharita said.
Through its coaching services, Galsa has reached out to more than 400 clients with 500 consultants, specialists, and professionals. It has also sought the assistance of the Creative Innovation Hubs, an initiative by the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT) implemented through the Technology Innovation and Entrepreneurship Centre (TIEC).
Through this programme, the founding team was able to get assistance in training and mentorship sessions so that they could kick off their startup.
Galsa offers hybrid services, online and offline, depending on the type of disability and the assistance needed. It has also gained the help of ICE Alex, the first incubation hub in Alexandria, which focuses mainly on providing different services and facilities around social entrepreneurship through innovation and entrepreneurship programmes.
Makharita and her team earned second place in the latest event at the ICE Alex Beyond Impact Showcase 2023, winning LE60,000. “This is not the first time ICE Alex has supported us financially, as they funded us three months ago with LE20,000 to boost our application,” she said.
“We joined ICE Alex as it is one of the biggest incubators in Egypt. They made a difference in our revenues, customers, and outreach. We added other services to the application as well,” she added.
There are thousands of startups in Egypt where incubation companies and services offered by the MCIT are providing helpful advice.
