Our Team - Man Ahyaha

Shaimaa Tantawi-Founder and Executive Manager

Shaimaa holds a BA in Commerce from Ain Shams University Coming from the banking sector, and since her graduation, she has been working passionately to serve marginalized communities. In 2007, Shaimaa and a group of friends decided to establish Man Ahyaha as a non-profit organization, that works to provide opportunities for change and community development. In 2010, Shaymaa decided to quit her full time job and devote herself fully to serve communities, working as a consultant for many international NGOs that work in Egypt. She then decided to dedicate herself full-time to managing Man Ahyaha besides being the treasurer. In 2014, Shaima worked on developing Man Ahyaha’s vision from being an association working in many programs to focus on one field: the field of education.

Shereen Aly-Educational Consultant

With a bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Shereen worked for over 9 years in multinational corporations before deciding to shift her career to education. In these years she realized the huge gap between the skills needed in real life and what the educational institutions are offering their students. She started working in the education field with a strong belief that the road to real world transformation is a powerful and holistic learning experience. Shereen earned an MA degree in International and Comparative Education from the American University in Cairo and ever since her graduation, Shereen has been passionately involved with several start-ups and NGOs in Egypt as a curriculum designer, researcher, facilitator and instructor. Her passion is to work with educators to help them re-ignite their curiosity and awe towards learning. She also helps them design learning processes that adopt the latest learning techniques and pedagogies worldwide while keeping an eye on the contextual elements. This is what she is currently working on for Man Ahyaha’s community schools.
In her work, Shereen focuses on the principles of peace education and STEAM interdisciplinary education among other pedagogies.

Nermeen Ahmed Al Kammar-Curriculum Design Manager

After graduating from the Faculty of Engineering, Cairo University with a bachelor’s degree in Architecture, Nermeen decided that architecture wasn’t for her and that she would rather work in the field of education to help children know their way, what they are capable of, and what they lack and need to learn, and consequently lead more fulfilling lives. She worked as a facilitator, learning and development supervisor, curriculum designer, researcher, and has managed projects for developing and designing different curricula.
Through her extensive work with children in underserved areas since 2013, she found they have all the intellectual capabilities and skills similar to their peers in more developed areas. She discovered that they only needed to be shown love, cared for, and believed in. Nermeen designs curriculums around those needs, focusing on helping children become self-aware while exposing them to new experiences, and allowing them to explore themselves and discover life. Her curricula help them through their learning journeys, so they are able to work on improving or even changing their reality.
Nermeen is on a continuous journey of educating herself in the field of education through many paths including courses, workshops, and readings. She took a character education diploma, a counselling diploma, and an applied drama for community engagement diploma, always keeping in mind that the children and working on the ground, in real contexts, are her main sources of learning. She believes that courses and degrees are part of a ongoing learning journey and not end goals in and of themselves since learning, exploration, discovery and development never end.

Rasha Abdel Hamid-Program Manager

Master’s degree in Education she combined many academic fields during her learning journey, and obtained a Bachelor of Art Education – a professional diploma in special education, then a private diploma and a master’s in educational technology.
Since graduating from university, she began her journey in practical life as an art education teacher in 2003, then moved to the field of community work in 2005, which sparked her passion, so she worked with many NGOs and educational and development projects in Egypt in the fields of education, management, training, and facilitation.

During her journey, she learned and discovered a lot about herself; Where she found herself loving to learn and develop, which makes her on a permanent and diverse journey of learning and research through different paths: academic studies – workshops – various training courses – readings. With her belief that experience and work on the ground are the main source of learning and real development, and that life is nothing but an endless learning journey.

Rasha’s experiences varied in managing educational and health projects and programs, rehabilitating and training facilitators and teachers in the field of community education in 7 governorates for a period of 6 years, designing a book on basic skills in the production of educational aids, training and managing the literacy and awareness-raising initiative team – and a team of friends and family friends to support Health care, membership of the local team for the adolescent health program, and the provision of a variety of training programs and workshops, through cooperation and work with local and international bodies such as the National Council for Childhood and Motherhood (Girl’s Education Initiative – Human Trafficking Prevention Unit) The World Food Program, the Social Fund for Development, and the Mahrousa Center for Economic and Social Development through management, training and design using different learning methodologies such as active learning, participatory learning, cooperative learning, inquiry-based learning, and problem-based learning in a variety of topics and areas, including psychological support, psychological safety and learning Active production of educational aids and design of electronic courses. Rasha enjoys traveling, being in nature, and constantly learning

Soha Hamed Metwally-Principal of El Baharwa School, Al-Ayat

Soha’s experience spans the fields of vocational training, capacity building of educators, psychologists and social workers, curriculum design and educational project management in public and private schools.

For 12 years, Soha worked as consultant for many private and international schools, a project manager for several educational projects such as the ethics and citizenship project “Ana Kbert” which took place in 9 different governments across Upper Egypt and the Delta, two industrial projects in El Oubour district and Suez, the “Saaha” project for the empowerment of school dropouts in El Dahab island in Maadi, and a mental health project to help workers in care homes. Soha also collaborated with international organizations such as Care International, and Save The Children offering her expertise in the fields of professional training and content design. Soha also previously managed a school in Saudi Arabia.

Soha holds a bachelor’s degree in Sciences and Pedagogy and a Master’s and PhD in Pedagogy. She published a number of research papers in the field of educational psychology in different scientific journals.

Heba Khaled-Educational Research and Development Specialist

Obtained her master’s degree in International and Comparative Education from The American University in Cairo in 2019. She has been working in the pedagogy field since 2014 and now works as part of the Training and Evaluation team at Man Ahyaha, designing professional and personal training courses for our teachers as well as facilitating these courses. Heba is also currently active in social theater with extensive focus on PlayBack Theater and Theater of the Oppressed activities. Heba Loves movement, hiking and interacting with people as she believes that involving herself in new experiences will help her better understand herself.