Previous El-Shella.com Media Coverage:
| TV & Radio | Newspapers & Magazines | Online eZines |
| Press Clippings | Testimonials |

 

TV & Radio

Newspapers & Magazines

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Press Clippings
Etisalat Al Youm, the first Internet Publication in the Middle East, November 2000: "There are numerous reasons why El-Shella.com merits shedding light on its efforts and achievements as a unique Egyptian site: El-Shella.com site is one of the top 10 sites for the Arab surfer in English, and one of the top 20 projects in Dubai Internet City e-biz Challenge, among 1385 projects submitted from 34 countries around the world. Debating religion, politics and are against Shella rules, giving the place a very harmonious character, where content is the main dish, and friendships surpass cyber space. El-Shella.com is listed in a unique sub-section on Yahoo! as one of the reputable Arab sites represented on this mammoth search engine. We're proud that such are the achievements of Egyptian youth, working single handedly to achieve such strong and respectable Egyptian presence on the Internet. We strongly recommend such a site for professional financial support to increase its reachability and to help it offer more services for the Egyptian user, both locally and abroad."

Al Qahira weekly Newspaper, published by the Egyptian Ministry of Culture, September 2000 "El-Shella.com is a unique and pioneering Egyptian web site and project, connecting Egyptians worldwide in a clean environment, free from all the negatives which pollute other sites. El-Shella easy-to-use exciting world is only one click away from any Arab user, even if he/she is new to the net, as everything is simple, family oriented, yet full of quality content, in a remarkably clean and friction-free atmosphere.
Many prominent businessmen and professionals are proud "Shellaweya", and foresee enormous growth and evolution for it in the future on a global scale. Many of them travel long distance with their families to attend Shella events, to become an active "Shellawey", and maybe receive "The official Shella Himdan Award", El-Shella mascot, who is the truly Egyptian simple man, friendly, warm, generous, and welcoming to his guests from all over the world. Average age of members is 30 years old from both genders, who are mainly successful professionals and their families; university professors, executives in multinational companies, and diplomats in Egypt and the world. El-Shella is an active Good Citizen in Egyptian society, promoting constructive campaigns for health and environmental causes, and teaching those precious values to the children of the members."

Al-Sharq daily Newspaper of Qatar, July 2000 "El-Shella.com is very successful in connecting Egyptians globally, the majority of members are skilled experts who have formed extended families with other Shellaweya in the countries where they live: in USA, Europe, Africa, The Gulf, and Australia. The members are so active that if you send a question or a request for help, you will most certainly receive a focused answer within hours, some from renowned international professionals. Consequently, El-Shella.com outstanding success has merited extensive international media coverage, something which resulted in attracting the right caliber of members and maximizing its positive effect on Internet users in Egypt and the region"

The Stockholm Challenge Awards, May 2000 "El-Shella, the Pioneering Egyptian e-Community, is making a unique impact on a wide cross-section of society in Egypt, as it focuses on the benefits to individuals, society and the environment, by using an innovative approach within a local context. It aims to fight stereotyping, promote gender equality, and make it easier for more people to access and share information and technology over the Internet in an easy, friendly, personal way. It has helped numerous members reunite with their friends and family, quit smoking, stay in shape, get over personal problems, learn new skills, exhibit their talents, and even relocate to other countries and find new jobs. Consequently, El-Shella is officially competing with hundreds of IT-entrepreneurs from all over the world as a successful Egyptian Internet project, hoping to win the award for best practice of Information Technology."

Akhbar El-Yom weekly newspaper, April 2000 "A truly shining example of modern Egyptian youth on the Internet! El-Shella is the first of a kind Egyptian e-Community aiming to connect Egyptians around the world. It is very effectively offering an electronic substitute to the traditional Egyptian group of friends, lost to the fast paced modern life, and the long hours of daily work. El-Shella is now THE place for educated Egyptians and Egypt enthusiasts to meet online and in person, and exchange help and experiences. As a result, El-Shella has enjoyed interest and coverage from international media worldwide."

The Cairo Times Magazine, March 2000 "El-Shella e-Community initiated a successful nonsmoking campaign in February 2000, by offering on-line awareness, encouragement and support for members trying to quit smoking, as well as for nonsmokers trying to stay healthy. 5 Shella members around the world have successfully quit smoking as a result of the campaign." The story included a section for URLs to useful sites about smoking derived from Shella online e-mail discussions

The Middle East Times newspaper, February 2000 "Proving to be a huge success over the Internet, El-Shella e-Community works to connect Egyptians to their rich cultural heritage and to each other, and inspires other online Cultural Clubs".

The Community Times Magazine, September 1999 "Among 280,000 similar groups hosted on the mammoth server eGroups, El-Shella was recently announced a VIG/ Power Group, in recognition to outstanding success and quality content"

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Testimonials:
El-Shella members, media representatives, and business professionals testifying to the quality and business potential of El-Shella.com:

Business Professionals
Mahmoud Sennara, BIT Financials: "I did visit your site, and I personally think it could be turned into a commercial venture with little modifications...good luck "

Christine Maxwell, Vice Chairman, The International Internet Society: "Good work with El-Shella! I'd like to send this information to the Internet Society's List."

Mohamed El-Nawawy, Chairman, InTouch ISP: "Sahar & Mohamed, Your work - and initiative - will always receive the support and appreciation by the educated commercial enterprise. Accordingly, InTouch appreciates and supports your efforts."

Amira Abou Taleb, Leo Burnett: "I'm quite impressed with El-Shella and how it's evolving. I'm the media director at Leo Burnett in Cairo, and am interested in the corporate sponsorship opportunities available."

Nada Sami, Marketing Consultant: "I'm taking my hat off for Mohamed & Sahar El-Nadi the creators of El-Shella. Marketing is NOT an easy job, but your willpower has gotten you through!"

Nasr Zaghloul, Product Manager, Unilever: "After careful evaluation of many Egyptian online projects, we have chosen El-Shella to promote some of our personal care products. Please send us your price quotations as soon as possible, and we look forward to cooperating with you".

Ranya El-Gammal, Sainsbury: "I work in the retail department of Sainsbury's, if anyone here has been to any Sainsbury's stores, please give me some feedback on what you think, as I'm in charge of raising the standards in the stores."

Other Egyptian Dot Coms
Tarek Amin, CareerEgypt.com "You're doing a great job on El-Shella. We are going to support you and all El-Shellaweya in any way we can, and we hope that you feel the same way towards us and our business."

Goha al-Masry, Nokatnos.com: "I'm really glad that your great effort in El-Shella is being recognized by Egyptian Media. This recognition is not a big addition to you, as it is an addition to our formal media: They have finally started noticing that Egyptians like you are already making a whole new world for us on the web. I'm proud of you and your success, and proud to be a member of your community."

Other Social & Cultural Clubs
Suzanne El Sheriff, Rotary Vice President: " We'll be delighted to invite you as a guest speaker in one of our meetings, to talk to the Rotary members about your successful online experience through El-Shella.com, and using your resources to serve people, society and the Egyptian environment."

Leila Tahoun, Founder, Roots Club: "I need your help in setting up my cultural club for Egyptians with dual nationalities, I'm sure you will have a lot to tell me through your long and fruitful experience with El-Shella"

Media Representatives
Heba Hussein, Science Editor, Akhbar El- Youm newspaper: "Dear Shellaweya, I am head of foreign affairs section and science editor in Akhbar el Yom. I hope you liked the article that I wrote about El-Shella on my page. It's my pleasure to become a Shella member!"

Vagn Olsen, Danish TV Producer/Travel correspondent for "Vagn in Arabia" 9-episode series, broadcasted in Denmark, Sweden, and Finland "I will always remember that one day I had lunch on a felucca on the Nile, with "El-Shella", some friendly and humorous young people from Egypt! I'll never forget that experience, it's in my heart forever."

Walid Abbas, Radio Monte Carlo "I found El-Shella while surfing the web, and loved the idea. I'd like to be a member, and to interview you for my weekly magazine "E-mail" on RMC".

Ashraf Salah El-Din, IT Editor, Al-Sharq newspaper of Qatar: "I wrote the article about El-Shella in Al-Sharq newspaper of Qatar. As a Shellawey from the first month and a friend of Mohammed I just reported what I have actSexually experienced with El-Shella".

Maryanne Stroud Gabbani, Editor, Egyptian Reporter magazine: "I joined El-Shella a while back having read somewhere what a great group it was. I'm a writer/editor for Egyptian Reporter and we are doing an article on the effects of Internet on the Egyptian family. I happen to think that there are a lot of positive aspects to Internet use, and El-Shella is definitely one. I'd be really interested in an interview either by phone, over e-mail or in person."

Josh Fisher, Editor, eGroups.com:" I edit the eGroups Manager News, and I was hoping to feature El-Shella in our upcoming edition of the newsletter. The issue goes out on Oct. 25, and would include a link to your group as an example of a nice looking Group Info Page -I loved the cartoon!".

Najla El Halwagy, Editor, Community Times Magazine: "The information you published on El-Shella about the pyramids is very interesting. I would like your permission to publish it in the Community Times with credits to you. Thank you for supplying us with food for our minds"

Amira Aboul Magd, Editor-In-Chief, Dar ElShorouk Publishing house: "I have been a member since July 99, it is inevitable that I start by expressing my profound appreciation to the El-Nadi siblings for the amazing success of their project. Dr. & Mrs. El-Nadi must be very proud!! I've worked for 10 years as a Bank Manager; I am now working with my husband who owns Dar-ElShorouk publishing house. I am the editor-in-chief of the books for children and young readers. The discussions, and debates that define this group have been a driving force for me at work, because they prove that the Egyptian people are aware of the challenges we are facing, able to give constructive criticism, and above all, still have the will and enthusiasm to get up and do something for a better Egypt and a better world. Sahar and Mo have exerted the most commendable efforts in this respect by creating this channel for us. My belief is that the best way for each of us to contribute is from where we operate. In publishing children's books, I am trying very hard to discreetly and indirectly instill a sense of identity in my young readers, and I certainly get a lot of inspiration form El-Shella".

Scientists and Academics
Environmentalist Prof. Salah Hassanien, Canada, introducing El-Shella to Nobel Prize Winner Prof. Ahmed Zewail: "I was lucky to meet some of El-Shella members during my visit to Cairo, it was an honor and privilege that I shall always cherish; meeting such wonderful people, full of energy and love for each other and their country. Please take an hour from your busy schedule and meet them. Such an informal meeting would inspire the younger generation to follow your example as a great scientist and human being. I personally had such a wonderful experience talking to them about the environmental conditions in Egypt and how to improve them, and I promised the group to contact you and ask you to share some time with them."

Dr. Sheriff Abdel Monem, ENT, University of Cambridge: "This group is novel and brilliant. I was proud to know that Egypt still has people like you. Changes in a society take a long time, and all start with one idea, and one step in the right direction, just like you're doing."

Prof. Ali Hadi, Chair, School of Engineering, University of Cornell "My heartiest congratulations for a marvelous job creating and moderating El-Shella. I hope you will continue to be able and willing to manage it for a long time to come. I know how much time, effort, talent, and enthusiasm this must take. It is very much like editing a scientific journal, and it's just as valuable, but to a much wider reader base!"

Professionals offering FREE Consultations
Dr. Ahmed Gad, Psychiatry Consultant, King Fahad Hospital, Riyadh: "I would like to congratulate you for maintaining a healthy, clean, open minded activity over the net through your Shella. To tell you the truth, I was afraid of eventual degradation of both the level and content of the discussions, and I thought soon I might be disinterested, none of this happened! I guess this is due to your smart coordination, thank you for your efforts. I'm inviting El-Shellaweya to send me their psychiatric questions and I will supply them with free consultations by e-mail, through my web site, or in person every Wednesday"

Dr. Amr Aboul Ezz, Dentist Lecturer, Cairo University: "I was happy to allocate a free consultation afternoon for El-Shella at my clinic. I can't remember a day when I had enjoyed my office more! It was great to have such interesting people with their lovely spirit. I have been a Shellawey for a couple of months and have been sensing this spirit through the e-mails, but I guess living the Shella experience is unique. I will certainly arrange for another Shella day in the near future."

Mohamed Abdelkhalik, Attorney, Manhattan, New York: " As a member of this great group I would like to offer you my free legal advice, please do not hesitate to e-mail me or call my office anytime, sorry I missed your meeting last week"

Dr. Hany Nowara, Associate Professor of Surgery, Cairo University "I heard about this group some months ago from very dear friends & patients. I am really proud to be one of you, I would be happy to supply all the group with any necessary medical information especially in the field of obesity, vascular & general surgery".

Ahmed Tawfik, Electronics engineer: " I'll be happy to fix any electronic appliances for free, just e-mail me and I'll come and pick them up, or fix them at your home if it's a small problem, and that includes VCRs, CD players, radios, and tape recorders, this is the least I can do for MY Shella!"

El-Shella.com Members/Visitors Worldwide
Non-Egyptian Members:
John Haley, USA: "I like to congratulate the founders and all the members of El-Shella. I think it is one of the best groups I have come across. Although, I am not an Egyptian, but I am married to an Egyptian lady. I wanted to post my problem, to seek from you an answer"

Peter Stage, Denmark "I just watched you on Danish TV, and just had to tell you what a brilliant idea you got, may the rest of the world learn something from the Egyptians.again!"

Margit Guldborg, Finland "This is to let you know you were on Finnish TV, and you contribute very positively to helping us Europeans form more diversified opinions of cultures and people in the Middle East. I hope that you will manage to spread your healthy and constructive views around the world as a great example of modern Egyptian thinking. Please keep up your admirable work!"

George Vitsentzos, Buenos Aires: " I enjoy very much reading the group although I'm not very active I should say due to my age (67) but have met a lot of interesting people and we exchange interesting subjects. I think that you have done a great job bringing all of us close again to the country we all love and proud of being part of. Keep it up".

Abdulsmad Almaskari, Oman: "I am an Omani who spent more than half of my life in EGYPT in school (San George) & university (Ein Shams). So you can see how I am crazy about EGYPT. I think it was a very good idea to start this Shella, and I would be very pleased if I can do something to help, even though I am far away. I'm really very proud to find a site like this!"

Attia Aboul Naga, Mozambique: " I am a new member of your very active and interesting group. I work for the diplomatic service, and I live in Maputo, the capital of Mozambique, please let me know if you need any help from here."

Egyptian Members Worldwide:
Hoda Fayed, Canada: "I continue to be very proud of all your discussions via e-mail and contributions to society. As an Egyptian in Canada, it is refreshing to see such positive impact coming from Egypt."

Noura ER, USA: "Congratulations for all your success, and may this qualify you one day for a Cover-feature for "George" or even "Fortune"! Although it's heart wrenching that George's best asset is gone by now, his legacy is your lot! I have no doubt you'll make the journey to George's grace-land or something that glitters just as much. Your brand of perseverance nurtures such famed legacies...good luck"

Monir El Shazly, Wales "On a newsstand near you, you'll find a magazine, with a beautiful cover photographed by me! I never would have gone commercial if it wasn't for Mohamed & Sahar who called me the "Shella photographer" and published some of my pictures on the web. El-Shella gave me my first chance!"

Manal Mostafa, Cairo: "I feel El-Shella is now part of my family, especially after my two kids participated in El-Shella Kids drawings competition. My 11-year-old son also became a sub-member, he's not a talkative person, and he surprised us all by his deep emails and his changing into a self confidant child, believing and trusting that adults do listen to kids and respect their opinions. El-Shella is doing a great job by encouraging kids to express themselves for a better future, and giving us adults a chance to understand our kids and how they're thinking. Thank you for encouraging my children to express themselves in this clean healthy, open minded atmosphere, under your and our guidance."

Ahmed Mazloum, Cairo: "When you're a Shella member and you have a problem, you know you can share it with so many people. Then you'll face your problem with just as many solutions! In only a moment, you'll find there are people who are ready to listen, help, and stand beside you, I think that's just great!"

Akram Adel, Cairo: "I had the honor to join El-Shella about one month ago and my first true contact with members was on the latest outing in Maadi, I got a very good impression about the whole thing, although at the beginning I wasn't so sure. I would like to thank you for initiating such a wonderful activity, and be sure that I will do my best to let the largest number of people know about El-Shella, not only in Egypt but in other countries too. Keep it up and good luck in all your future steps"

Hani Hazzi, UAE: "This site is fun, yet clean and respectful, not only because of its content, but because of the spirit of it's people. Bravo to the idea of bringing together people who share love for their country, for others, and who have respect for themselves, radiate friendship and love- and most of all, have the power to be tolerant and able to accept other people's opinion, and discuss it in an environment of mutual respect. This is the greatest gift given to us in this part of the world"

Hazem El-Heniedy, Sweden: "I left Egypt to Sweden 30 years ago, since then, I lost contact with all my friends. Every time I was in Egypt, I spent most of my holiday looking for them, I put an advertisement in papers, asked the Swedish Church, US Embassy, Egyptian online groups, searched chat rooms, I even went to our old friend, minister of labor, but I didn't get any answer. Then I got El-Shella e-mail address from Danish TV. So I emailed a list of names of my friends, and to my surprise, I got an answer from a son of one friend, who promised to lead me to the rest! At last, with El-Shella help in only ONE DAY, I found my friends that I have been trying to find for more than 30 YEARS all over the world! I have never seen anything like that!

Sami Magued, Cairo: "I posted requesting advice on an operation for my father, and received dozens of sweet emails from all over the world. I can't explain how this helped me; I felt I have a great big family that really cares, and printed them all for dad to read after he came out of the ICU, he was so pleased that all of you cared for him: doctors offered free help, people donated blood, sent hard to find medicine from abroad, and everyone prayed for him! I really cannot find words to express my feelings for El-Shella".

Dr. Dina Hammad, Germany "I have been on the net since 1995, and I have seen many online groups end in pointless content and useless quarrels. But El-Shella is very different: it's a very enjoyable and unique experience."