The Nebny Foundation’s headquarters in Manshiyet Naser in southeastern Cairo will be evacuated after a decision by the governor of Cairo mandated that the site be converted into a post office, according to a Monday statement by the foundation.
Manshiyat Naser district head Gamal Mohamed Mohey said the decision was “not political but executive”, adding that the foundation is facing a number of legal violations.
Mohey said the foundation has encroached on state owned land and claimed to possess official letters from the Ministry of Social Solidarity stating that the foundation “did not do any beneficial activity for the neighbourhood.”
He added that the governor’s decision to host the foundation’s headquarters in the governor’s local office was “temporary” and that the foundation’s request to make the decision permanent was denied by the Cairo governorate’s legal office.
Rasha Badran, vice president of the board of directors of Nebny Foundation said upon the organisation’s founding in August 2012 the governor of Cairo had issued a decision to host it in one of his offices in Manshiyat Naser.
“We are facing… a problem that was resolved in March 2013,” said Badran. “We made a mistake by not notifying the authorities that we were building an extra area during our renovations to the governor’s office.”
Badran explained that an agreement had been with the Cairo governor’s office in March 2013 when the governor renewed his decision to host the foundation’s headquarters in his office.
Badran refuted allegations that Nebny had not benefitted the neighbourhood, listing its activities in the neighbourhood, which include helping residents start small projects, free tutoring classes for school students, providing medical convoys, and more.
“Anyone who questions our work can easily come to the neighbourhood and ask the residents about our impact in the community,” said Badran. “Our work is based on volunteers who have no political affiliations and our sole goal is helping the community.”
The Nebny Foundation “was established by a group of young Egyptians who participated in the 25 January Revolution in 2011 aiming for a better future for Egypt,” as the foundation introduced itself on its official website.
Khalid Mustafa, the head of the Media Office of Cairo Governorate said that Cairo Governor Dr Galal El-Saied ordered an investigation in the matter and the governorate will issue a statement accordingly.
