AUC Students Gain Hands-On Experience in Volunteer Management at Egyptian Food Bank
Ahead of the holy month of Ramadan, graduate students at The American University in Cairo (AUC) took part in a field visit to the Egyptian Food Bank as part of the Volunteer Management course, taught by Professor Shahjahan Bhuiyan. The visit gave students firsthand experience in nonprofit management, community welfare, and volunteer coordination. During the visit, students engaged with senior management, toured the bank’s factory, and actively participated in packing food boxes, deepening their understanding of how on-the-ground operations differ from theoretical concepts.
As global challenges such as conflicts, disease, and climate change persist, Bhuiyan stressed the growing importance of volunteerism. “The role of volunteers cannot be overemphasized,” he said. “The mantra of volunteering is ‘risking lives to serve others,’ thus giving a new meaning to life. The course is meant to make students aware of the importance of volunteering and its inherent power to improve the quality of lives,” Bhuiyan explained.
The experience certainly resonated well with students. “The course was both inspiring and transformative,” said Alyiaa Morsy, a public policy master’s student. “The fieldwork taught me the true power of volunteering—how it unites people, drives change, and leaves a lasting impact on communities.”
The course, which attracts students from diverse academic backgrounds—including public administration, public policy, political science, engineering, journalism and mass communication, TV and digital journalism, and film—features three guest lectures to complement fieldwork. These included a session by Professor Carmine Bianchi from the University of Palermo on localizing the UN Sustainable Development Goals, a talk by a Sawiris Foundation representative on the challenges and prospects of volunteering in Egypt, and a discussion with Greenish Foundation’s co-founder on community-centered solutions.
“It gave me a hands-on understanding of managing volunteers and showed me how important it is to communicate clearly and lead with purpose,” said Hind Al-Helaly, a TV and digital journalism master’s student. “It wasn’t just theory; it was about making a real difference,” she added.
Omar Darwish, a public administration master’s student, emphasized the impact of these experiences. “The course has equipped me with knowledge of volunteering and issues that challenge its management,” he said. “Through field visits, I learned to boost my performance and achieve effective teamwork and interaction.”