El-Hassan Salah has very well earned his position at SEKEM’s company NatureTex – with his devotion to work and eagerness to learn. The 30 year old Purchasing Supervisor managed from his humble beginning, to rise and reach every goal he sets himself. This doesn’t get in the way of his ambition, as he always sets new and bigger goals to achieve.
Early Life
El-Hassan Salah grew up in a big loving family. One of six brothers and sisters, he lost his father only at the age of nine. “This great loss taught me to assume responsibility from a young age”, he sees now “a quality which later helped me during my academic and career life.”
In the small town in Belbeis called Beni Eleim where El-HAssan lives, the locals are no strangers to SEKEM. In addition, several of his family members had a job at one of SEKEM’s companies already. This encouraged El-Hassan to enroll in SEKEM’s Vocational Training Center (VTC). By doing so, he didn’t only get to pursue a practical education, he also guaranteed work opportunities later and the possibility to pursue a profitable career and development. So, in 2014 at the age of fourteen, El-Hassan began his vocational training in Administrative Technical Assistance. “I first intended to enroll in the Electronics department, but then recognized better opportunities for development in that brand new field to the vocational education” he explains.
Career and development
His vocational training relied a great deal on practice; where two days only were reserved for theoretical education, and the remaining four days were for practical experiences and training. In his third and last year at the VTC, El-Hassan was introduced to SEKEM’s subsidiary company for Organic textile, NatureTex. After he concluded his training, he was asked to join the work team there. Since then, he climbed his career ladder quickly, seizing every opportunity, and taking initiative. In 2016, El-Hassan even graduated from the Faculty of Business. “This was only possible because I received a great deal of support from my managers”, El-Hassan points out. “A healthy plant does not grow without rich soil, which in turn needs care. El-Hassan is one of the plants of this earth. I saw in him an ambitious and hardworking young man, with great potential. We made a promise to each other for him to maintain his eagerness to learn, and for me to be his mentor and offer him support. Until now this agreement showed wonderful outcomes” expresses Gharib Abdel Hamid, NatureTex factory manager. El-Hassan also gives credit to the company manager Konstanze Abouleish: “Mrs. Kony teaches me how to be creative and innovative. Her problem-solving style is fantastic and very inspiring,” he explains.
Through his career journey with NatureTex, El-Hassan took many training courses in management strategy, communication skills, report writing or English language. And he enjoys the cultural activities that SEKEM offers its members within the “Core Program”. In this context he even joined a theater play that has been performed on stage during one of SEKEM’s annual festival.
Family and future
In 2014, El-Hassan married Iman and together they raise their two children: Ahmed, his eldest is five years old, and his youngest, Yamen is only a year and half. The father, El-Hassan, dreams that his children pursue esteemed higher degrees in education, and use this knowledge to help develop their community and country.
Nadine Greiss