Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Ford Motor Company has dedicated considerable resources to assist global communities and humanitarian organisations involved in helping the most vulnerable members of our society.

As part of its partnership with Cairo-based ride-sharing service SWVL, Ford Motor Company Fund – the philanthropic arm of Ford – has extended its community support by donating EGP600,000 to the Egyptian Association for Educational Resources (E-ERA) – an organisation that promotes children’s education and provides a variety of programs and activities to develop the students’ characters and leadership skills.

“This year has been especially hard on families whose breadwinners work in jobs affected by home quarantine as well as on non-profit organisations that do exceptional work to assist communities across the region.”

“While enduring the COVID-19 lockdown, these humanitarian organisations have had the additional responsibility of caring for the most vulnerable families. This donation will be used to enhance our efforts to protect children coming back to school. We have been truly inspired by the work that E-ERA does, and trust that the EGP600,000 donation will help them support the children in these fragile communities.”

Achraf El Boustani, Managing Director for Ford Africa – Direct Markets

The Ford and SWVL initiative will provide children of SWVL captains with necessary school supplies and sanitation kits, reducing the cost burden on parents who are already under financial pressure:

• Provide 1,000 children of SWVL captains with school supplies
• Protect the children by providing a set of prevention tools to protect them inside the classroom and prevent them from transmitting coronavirus
• Motivate the children to succeed and excel in school

“We have seen the power of collaboration come to life, and we are delighted to always keep stepping up to take care of the rights of our children during the global pandemic. We are grateful for our shared vision and commitment that has led to this partnership with Ford.”

“This initiative aims to take care of the SWVL captains as they have always taken care of SWVL customers, encouraging and raising their morale by removing extra strains and burdens and allowing them to focus on their work while being assured that their families are taken care of and protected.

We will continue to support our captains throughout these tough times as they are our everyday heroes, transporting thousands of people, on a daily basis, to wherever they need to go.”

Mostafa Kandil, CEO of SWVL

Ford Motor Company has a long legacy of community upliftment and empowerment and providing resources for those who need it most. Each year, the Ford Motor Company Fund provides grants to nominated NGOs as part of the annual Ford Global Caring Month.

“This crisis has shown us how social responsibility is important to support communities, especially those who have been hit hard by the pandemic. Today’s initiative reaffirms Ford’s commitment to supporting and assisting fragile communities to help work through this pandemic together, and we’re proud that we’re able to help where it’s most needed.”

Tarek Abdullatif, Managing Director of Ford-AutoJameel

“We are humbled and honoured by the effective partnership with both Ford and SWVL in Egypt. Since its founding in 2005, E-ERA has served thousands of youth and their stakeholders through education, development, and leadership opportunities.

Through this project, Egyptian youth will get firsthand experience of how corporate and community partners can collaborate and progress for a common cause to serve its citizens. Although the pandemic has slowed down economic activities across borders and around the globe, it did not affect the passion of service.”

Dalia Khalil, Chairman of E-ERA

About Ford Motor Company

Ford Motor Company (NYSE: F) is a global company based in Dearborn, Michigan. The company designs, manufactures, markets and services a full line of Ford trucks, utility vehicles, and cars – increasingly including electrified versions – and Lincoln luxury vehicles; provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company; and is pursuing leadership positions in electrification; mobility solutions, including self-driving services; and connected vehicle services.  Ford employs approximately 186,000 people worldwide. For more information regarding Ford, its products and Ford Motor Credit Company, please visit corporate.ford.com.

About SWVL

SWVL, a Cairo-born mobility startup, connects commuters with private buses on its network, allowing them to book the rides through its app and pay using a credit card or cash. Started with Cairo in 2017, SWVL now operates its service in several cities across four countries, including Kenya, where it expanded in early 2019 and Pakistan where it launched mid-2019 and recently in Jordan, with plans to expand further on a regional and a global scale. SWVL has also been taking part in different initiatives across all its markets to help the community in these tough times, by providing free rides in Egypt during the peak of the 1st wave and providing medical services to its captains base. For more information on SWVL, visit https://SWVL.com

About E-ERA

E-ERA is a non-governmental and not-for-profit organization founded in 2005 under the supervision of the Ministry of Social Solidarity. E-ERA serves youth aged 12-29 all over Egypt through formal and informal education. 28E-ERA believes that humans are the main pillar for development and sustainability, providing a variety of programs and activities to develop the students’ characters and leadership skills. The programs help students reach their full potentials and design non-traditional solutions for the current global and local challenges. The programs are gradual and assist students in considering development on the individual, group/team, community and local/national/global levels. For more information on E-ERA, visit: https://egypt-era.org/en/