MayZein El Dein founded Al Hassan Foundation in 2013 after a tragic accident for her son that led him to be a wheelchair user. May and thirteen of her friends decided to take a bold initiative in order to make a difference in Egypt and the Middle East. They established a foundation that provides tailored solutions for the physically challenged in Egypt to improve their quality of life and ensure their inclusion in society. More than 50% of the board members are wheelchair users, in addition to 80% of the foundation’s employees are permanent wheelchair users.
When the foundation was established in 2013, the services were limited to individuals with spinal cord injuries only. However, in 2015 the foundation’s projects expanded to include all permanent wheel-chair users in Egypt. At this moment, more than 1000 direct beneficiaries in Egypt’s different governorates benefit from the foundation’s services and projects. The foundation is keen to change the society’s perception of wheelchair users from “Disabled”? to “Differently Abled”?. Nevertheless, this can only happen through ensuring full inclusion of the differently abled in society. The foundation seeks to compile the first database in Egypt on differently abled individuals and their personal details.
The Foundation’s mission is to enable wheelchair users and their families to overcome their daily challenges by using their capabilities, through implementing eight different programs: Egyptian Information Hub, Transitional Period, Customized Wheelchair, Source of Living, Equipped Ride, Social Awareness, Sports and Activities, and Kids on Wheels.