Yuridia Montoya
Project founder and manager
Yurdia established ConnectIn Groups in Siwa oasis in 2015
Ellen Markus
Project coordinator
Ellen helps in the coordination of the different aspects of the project
OUR VOLUNTEERS
Since summer 2016, we have been engaging with volunteers. Our small team can always use an extra pair of hands and we enjoy being in touch with people who share our vision and are challenged by a place like Siwa. If you are interested in volunteering opportunities do not hesitate to contact us!
Marre van Lente
Jun – Aug 2015 “I had an amazing experience working with ConnectIn Groups. I cooperated with the project from the early beginning, I helped preparing the place to be ready for the different training sessions. Yuridia and I became very close friends after working together every day. Often I go back to Siwa to help out during the English classes and with other various jobs in and around the training center. Seeing the progress it has made, makes me really proud and happy to be part of such an amazing initiative and it feels amazing to do something for the local community in this rural part of Egypt.”
Enas el Masry
Feb – April 2016 “Unlike being part of a huge team where your efforts may get lost amidst the magnitude of the overall project, interning at ConnectIn Groups felt more like belonging to a family than a team. Seeing as how I joined at an early point in the project’s journey there was plenty of space to add to the project in multiple ways. Working with a core team that is very understanding and welcoming to all sorts of ideas was very inviting to come up with ideas and solutions. It is certainly an experience to remember favorably for many years to come.”
Danai Roussi
July – Aug 2016 “I had a wonderful experience working at ConnectIn Groups. The place and the people were a really pleasant surprise. The students were very smart and motivated, even though they had a really full schedule. I gave private English lessons at home for some of the girls of the area, with excellent results. Working together with colleagues and the founder of the project was perfect and I don’t exaggerate to say that they have become friends. The people of the area are very welcoming to foreigners and the place is like a paradise in the desert.”
Sofia Montoya
May – Sept 2017 “Coming to live in Siwa was like a dream for me: living in an oasis in the middle of the desert, with a tribal community… what else could I ask for!? My door to this little paradise on Earth was the opportunity to volunteer with ConnectIn Groups; such an amazing experience! For 4 months I was teaching English to women and children, which gave me great insight to the daily lives of Siwan people. Siwa is such an interesting place, and if someone is planing to travel Egypt, it is a great base for understanding and experiencing and then travel further around Egypt.”