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Last June, AYB-SD hosted a group of 10 students from the Northeastern University in the US, where they volunteered to evaluate the micro-credit system of AYB-SD. The program was organized and facilitated by John D. Gerhart Center Program of International Community-Based-Learning (CBL) at the American University in Cairo. The evaluation of the program was very positive, where most of the surveys indicated that the micro-credit beneficiaries are satisfied with the micro-credit program of AYB-SD and other comprehensive development packages as illiteracy eradication, children development, and others.
In the document submitted by the Northern University students, many ideas and recommendations were outlined in details for AYB-SD, including ideas for expansion and mobilizing local initiatives. The following was written in the document submitted:
Our Mission
To analyze and evaluate the operations of the Economic Empowerment Initiative program of the non-governmental organization (NGO) Alashanek Ya Balady (AYB-SD), with a focus on the core Micro-credit program.
We will accomplish our mission by interviewing the beneficiaries of the Micro-credit program who live in the impoverished Cairo neighborhood of Ain el Sira and speaking with the founders of AYB-SD. Using this information, we will develop case studies and analyze the systematic operations of the organization.
Our Anticipated Results
A document providing external perspectives to AYB, including our ideas and recommendations for improvement and further developments. We hope this document will provide an effective format for evaluating the progress of AYB's programs that can be used again in future evaluations.
We hope to develop and maintain a positive relationship with AYB-SD and Ain el Sira, paving the way for the involvement of future Northern University (NU) students and faculty. This relationship will be mutually beneficial: NU students will gain firsthand insight to Egyptian culture and environment, and hopefully by helping the NGO (AYB-SD) we will help the people of Ain el Sira.
