In a bold move to advance mental health advocacy and child protection in Egypt, Dr. Sara Aziz, Founder and Chairwoman of “Safe Egypt”, has taken center stage in forging a strategic partnership with the Ministry of Youth and Sports, positioning her organization as a key driver of psychological awareness and social safety across the nation.
Meeting this week with Minister of Youth and Sports Dr. Ashraf Sobhy, Dr. Aziz laid out an ambitious vision for nationwide collaboration, centered on integrating community-based mental health education and abuse prevention into the heart of Egypt’s youth programming.
“We are not just responding to crises—we are building a culture of prevention, protection, and psychological resilience for Egypt’s next generation,” said Dr. Aziz, whose work over the past decade has made her one of Egypt’s leading figures in trauma recovery and psychosocial support.
From Survivor Advocacy to National Impact
Dr. Sara Aziz, a seasoned trauma therapist and internationally recognized advocate, founded Safe Egypt with the goal of providing trauma-informed care and preventative education in communities often underserved by formal mental health systems. What began as a grassroots initiative has evolved into a national platform for awareness, healing, and reform—tackling issues such as child abuse, gender-based violence, addiction, bullying, and family trauma.
Under her leadership, Safe Egypt has delivered programs across urban and rural areas alike, offering support for survivors, training educators and parents, and launching public campaigns to challenge stigma and promote help-seeking behaviors.
The newly announced partnership with the Ministry represents a significant leap forward in institutionalizing those efforts. Proposed initiatives include:
- Production of animated educational films for children on topics such as harassment prevention, emotional regulation, and coping with violence.
- Formation of child protection committees within youth centers to provide safe reporting channels and psychological support.
- Awareness workshops for children and families on mental health, addiction, and social violence.
- Creation of short-form digital content to disseminate key messages across online platforms in an engaging, accessible format.
A Voice for Egypt’s Children and Families
Dr. Aziz emphasized that the collaboration is not merely technical—it is a cultural shift in how Egyptian institutions engage with issues of trauma and mental well-being.
“Mental health is not a luxury—it’s a right. And child safety is not optional—it’s fundamental to any society that hopes to thrive,” she noted. “This partnership allows us to bring that message into youth clubs, schools, homes, and communities, with the full support of a national ministry.”
She also praised Minister Sobhy’s openness to innovation and civil society engagement, calling it “a rare and crucial moment of alignment between grassroots experience and institutional authority.”
Bridging Policy and Practice
While Minister Sobhy reaffirmed the Ministry’s readiness to provide technical and logistical support for expanding Safe Egypt’s work across Egypt’s governorates, the spotlight remained firmly on Dr. Aziz’s pioneering approach—one that merges psychological science with cultural sensitivity, and positions young people and their families not as passive recipients but as active participants in their own healing and protection.
