Cairo: PepsiCo Egypt held a graduation ceremony for the first graduating class of the “She Works Wonders" program, during which it honored 50 participants who reached the final stage and will then enroll them in an internship program at PepsiCo, with a full-time employment opportunity for those who excel.

The program was launched last March, under the auspices of the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, in cooperation with Injaz Egypt, and funded by the PepsiCo Foundation, with the aim of changing the narrative of female employability in the private sector and increasing their representation in male-dominated jobs such as sales and supply chain.

The closing event was attended by Mr. Mohamed Shelbaya, CEO of PepsiCo Egypt, Mr. Ronald Schellekens, PepsiCo Global Chief Human Resources Officer, Dina El Mofty, Founder of INJAZ Egypt, and Nelly Karim, Egyptian actress, and the Program’s Ambassador, among other program ambassadors and in addition to a number of representatives from the business community, and public figures.

Mr. Mohamed Shelbaya, CEO of PepsiCo Egypt, stated: “I am proud to be celebrating our efforts and the participants’ hard work in the “She Works Wonders” program, which is considered a breakthrough in our long journey of supporting and empowering women. Today, PepsiCo took it upon itself to honor and reward them by providing the opportunity for the 50 participants who reached the final stage to join the PepsiCo Egypt internship program, besides offering a full-time employment opportunity for those who excel.” Furthermore, Shelbaya expressed his gratitude to the Ministry of Higher Education, Injaz Foundation, and PepsiCo’s employees for their effective contribution to the success of the program and their assistance in qualifying and developing the capabilities of the participants. He explained that these parties’ support undeniably confirms the conscious mindset that exists among the public nowadays, the community’s realization of Egyptian women’s rights, and the importance of supporting their participation in various fields.

Dina ElMofty, Co-Founder of Injaz Egypt said: “INJAZ Egypt is proud to have been part of a great initiative that supports female graduates and breaks professional barriers when it comes to male-dominated jobs. It has been a pleasure to witness the great success of the program alongside PepsiCo Egypt, PepsiCo Foundation, and the Ministry of Higher Education. It has always been our main mission to support the youth and ensure they own their economic success”

In this occasion, Program Ambassador and actress Nelly Karim stated: “Very honored and glad to be part of this promising program, that has enabled me to witness the success of these girls that have exerted exemplary commitment and dedication. I am also beyond impressed with the decency and representability of these young ladies which only points to a bright future for them.” Moreover, she congratulated the 50 girls who reached the final stage, and the rest of the program participants for taking part in this journey and leaving a real impact that only demonstrates that Egyptian women can do, and how they can really work wonders.

C.D. Glin, President of the PepsiCo Foundation - the philanthropic arm of PepsiCo, said: “The PepsiCo Foundation values and recognizes the impact women have in our communities. Hence, most of our programs in the Middle East and North Africa focus on community development. We were keen to provide as much support as possible to the "She Works Wonders" program in Egypt, due to the capabilities and qualifications that Egyptian women possess that help them excel and that is what I witnessed in the participants throughout the program. We are currently studying the successful community development model that was applied in Egypt to be able to replicate the same model with the same effect in other countries in North Africa and the Middle East, in order to develop and expand our programs and improve the lives of more and more people”

It is worth noting that the implementation of the "She Works Wonders" program was divided into four stages, where 600 female graduates were selected from public universities across Egyptian governorates, and participated in sessions and training providing them with the basic skills to qualify them for the labor market. Then, 300 participants were selected to receive practical and technical training to qualify them for the different needs of the workforce in the third phase, the participants were filtered to 150 girls, who were trained during a 3-day boot camp by experts and specialists in the relevant fields, with the participation of a number of PepsiCo employees, and in the presence of CD Glin, President of the PepsiCo Foundation.

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