Under the Auspices of the Ministries of Social Solidarity and Trade & Industry

ALEXBANK continues its support to the creative economy and handicrafts industry in Egypt through its flagship initiative “Ebda3 Men Masr” by sustaining “Craffiti Egypt” handicrafts exhibition, organized by the Egyptian Export Council of Handicrafts and the Egyptian Chamber of Handicrafts, under the auspices of Ministry of Social Solidarity and the Ministry of Trade & Industry. Craffiti offers talented artisans the opportunity to promote their handcrafts and artworks at the Cairo International Convention & Exhibition Center, from the 11th till the 18th of October 2018.

The exhibition’s inauguration was attended by H.E. Dr. Ghada Wali - Minister of Social Solidarity, Eng. Hesham El-Gazzar, Deputy of the Egyptian Export Council for Handicrafts and Member of the Board of Directors of the Federation of Egyptian Industries, Mr. Mosaad Omran, Head of the Chamber of Handicrafts Industries, Dr. Nivine Gamea, Head of the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority, Mr. Dante Campioni, Managing Director and CEO of ALEXBANK, Ms. Laila Hosny, Head of CSR and Sustainable Development office at ALEXBANK.

“Ebda3 Men Masr” participation in Craffiti Egypt targets identifying and supporting local artisans and projects owners to preserve the Egyptian artisanship’s identity, by empowering technically and economically various local communities, and investing on their entrepreneurial skills. Ebda3 Men Masr’s contribution in major local events falls in line with ALEXBANK’s CSR strategy of creating new markets and direct sales platforms for the Egyptian artisans.

Dante Campioni, Managing Director and CEO of ALEXBANK said: “ALEXBANK’s CSR strategy keeps affirming the concept of “Creating Shared Value”, continuously investing in the field of authentic Egyptian craftsmanship by supporting the affirmation of the talent and the artistic skills of creative artisans, while favoring their market access.”

Campioni added: “Through the logic of Ebda3 men Masr we offer artisans technical support, access to formation and to programs of financial literacy. We also care about their full financial inclusion offering financial support when needed and access to a variety of digital services to promote the use of electronic payments. “Craffiti Egypt” quarters 85 “Ebda3 Men Masr” exhibitors to whom we provide dedicated Point-of-Sale solutions with full waiver of fees for any transaction made during the exhibition period”.

Moreover, Laila Hosny, ALEXBANK’s Head of CSR and Sustainable Development office, stated: “We are proud of our participation in “Craffiti Egypt”, as it’s an event from artisans to artisans, functioning primarily for creating shared value through knowledge transfer from “Ebda3 Men Masr” artisans to every other taking part to the exhibition. “Ebda3 Men Masr” participated in more than 15 exhibitions, and we will work to multiply that number to extend support to all the major handicrafts communities in Egypt”. Seeking the creation of memorable experience for both the exhibitors and visitors of Ebda3 Men Masr, we included entertainment shows, live crafts performance and ‘’Do It Yourself’’ activities for children.

On his part, Eng. Hesham El-Gazzar, Deputy of the Egyptian Export Council for Handicrafts and Member of the Board of Directors of the Federation of Egyptian Industries said “The importance of organizing this exhibition currently is to increase the sales of companies and individuals participating in it, and provide them with sales opportunities in the Egyptian market through targeting interior designers, hotels, restaurants, and stores, as well as the regular end-user. The exhibition also targets opening new foreign markets for the artisans, as the Egyptian Export Council for Handicrafts aims to multiply the amount of Egyptian handicrafts exports to reach USD 450 mln by 2025.”

Ebda3 Men Masr was launched by ALEXBANK as part of its Creating Shared Values (CSV) model, aiming at promoting partnerships and collaboration between institutions, NGOs, governmental entities as well as individuals. It contributes and pursue sustainable development by creating opportunities for the economically still marginalized communities, promoting women’s economic empowerment, youth employability, fair trading practices, capacity building and vocational training for the handicrafts sector as well as heritage preservation.