She’s a renowned model, TV host, and lawyer – and she’s also a keen humanitarian. And Jessica Kahawaty‘s passion for philanthropy is at the heart of her latest project, a collaboration with fashion agency Maison Pyramide. The Lebanese-Australian star has teamed up with the Cairo-based agency to raise funds for the Helm Foundation, a charity dedicated to helping empower people living with disabilities.
As part of her bid to raise awareness and support for those affected, Kahawaty visited Egypt during Ramadan together with Egyptian actor and model Tara Emad, and Egyptian singer and songwriter Lara Scandar. The trio, along with a team from Maison Pyramide, spent time at the Helm Foundation headquarters in Cairo, where they learned more about the non-profit organization’s mission. The stars also met with Helm ambassadors and those the foundation supports, with their experience documented in a moving video. As part of their visit, Kahawaty, Emad, and Scandar had a brief introduction into what life is like for people with disabilities, learning sign language and experiencing manoeuvring a wheelchair.
“I’ve always wanted to come to Egypt on a charitable mission because I know there are a number of issues that the country struggles with,” said Kahawaty, citing the 15 million people in Egypt that live with a disability. “My experience at Helm was inspirational to say the least; it’s always eye-opening when you meet someone who is facing real life obstacles with a smile on their face. This contagious positivity is one that needs to be noted by the wider community and we should all have a personal mission to promote inclusivity.”
Jessica Kahawaty at the Maison Pyramide charity gala. Photo: Ahmed Tarek El Sayed
To support Helm, which first launched in 2014, Kahawaty and Maison Pyramide hosted a charity gala, attended by some of the nation’s most famous faces. Designers including Ammanii, Azza Fahmy, Dima Jewelry, Dina Targam, Djewelled, Hugo Boss, Kojak, Mohamed El Sagheer, Okhtein, and Vartan donated items for a silent auction, the proceeds of which went to Helm Foundation.
Kahawaty also documented her visit to Cairo on Instagram, where she shared several behind-the-scenes shots with her 470,000 followers. “How can I put into words what I learnt from Omar and his friends today?” she captioned the above image. “No obstacle is too big, no problem is unsolvable, and never ever give up. The most optimistic people are those who have had ‘nos’ thrown their way: ‘you can’t do it,’ ‘we can’t accept you,’ or ‘you cant work here.'”
Scandar and Emad also paid tribute to those they met during their trip, with Scandar revealing she was left inspired by the stories she had heard. “People with special needs are not disabled. They’re only disabled because we don’t make things accessible to them,” the singer wrote on Instagram. “Once we learn to educate ourselves, we can help to make it easier for them to find their places in society and in the workplace. The men and women I met were filled with humor, strength and intelligence. If only the rest of the world were like them.”
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Credits:
Video Production and editing: Sarah Riad
