About Marhaba

I. Our Philosophy and Values

Partnership

All our projects will be conducted in close cooperation with local organizations or partners with an unmet need that volunteers can effectively fulfill.

Sustainability

We will only support projects that either include sustainable mechanisms or partner with local organizations in ongoing projects.

Health

The health and safety of volunteers is paramount to our programs. Volunteers are required to have adequate health and evacuation insurance and will have access to medical care including pharmacies, clinics, and regional hospitals. Evacuation insurance covers the cost of transportation in the case of a severe medical emergency.

Safety

Volunteers will be fully informed about how to live in their communities safely. This includes being aware of State Department guidelines for travel, dressing appropriately, and avoiding unknown areas at night.

Innovation

Marhaba encourages entrepreneurial solutions to social problems and innovative ways to develop partnerships between Arab and American volunteers and organizations.

Non-Discrimination

We believe in a rights-based approach to development that does not discriminate based on ethnicity, race, political affiliation, religion, sexual orientation, or any other factor. This commitment applies to both service provision and staff/volunteer recruitment.

II. Our Staff

Executive Director

Catherine Baylin

Catherine has lived in Cairo since September 2006 and is currently pursuing an M.A. in Middle East Studies at The American University in Cairo (AUC). She formerly worked at the John D. Gerhart Center for Philanthropy and Civic Engagement at AUC. She has served as a volunteer health educator in Tanzania, trained volunteers in teaching methods and the ethics of volunteering, and twice worked as a Resident Advisor for a language learning summer program in France. In Tanzania, she lived with a host family while teaching HIV prevention courses to local school and community groups. She graduated with Honors in Political Science from Stanford University where her research focused on the relationship between democratization and poverty.

US Operations Director

Mary Beth Johnson

Mary Beth received her M.Ed in Higher Education Administration from Loyola University in Chicago where she focused her graduate work on international education and international service-learning. While at Loyola, she helped to administer and oversee the School of Education’s summer programs in Rome, and she led a winter break service trip to France. She also participated in a summer language and cultural immersion program while serving as a volunteer in Tanzania. Additional international experience includes studying abroad in Australia as an undergraduate student, and in Italy as a graduate student. Mary Beth is currently employed at Rotary International as a Group Study Exchange Coordinator where she facilitates exchanges with outbound groups from the U.S., Canada, the Caribbean, and the Middle East.

Egypt Country Director

Nermine Mounir

Nermine graduated from Cairo University in 2003 with a BA in Political Science. Before joining the Marhaba team in 2010, Nermine worked for several years in development with different local NGOs in Egypt. In April 2007, she joined the team of United Nations Volunteers as a Registration Assistant in the UNHCR, where she conducted interviews with asylum-seekers and prepared legal assessments. Nermine is also leading a peace education project called “Misryati,” a project incubated by the Egyptian NGO Nahdet Elmahrousa, which aims to create spaces where people can safely explore the diversity within the Egyptian society and learn non-violent conflict resolution skills. Born in 1982, Nermine is a Virgo. She practices Scottish dancing and enjoys traveling inside Egypt and overseas.

Special Thanks

Marhaba would like to thank Alexandra Halsema for designing the logo and Brett Burwell for developing the website.