Egyptian lyricist Menna Adly El-Kiey has called on artists, musicians, filmmakers and other creatives to join forces for a volunteer campaign supporting Abu El-Reesh Children’s Hospital, with the aim of raising awareness and encouraging more donations to the major pediatric healthcare institution.
El-Kiey issued the appeal through her social media accounts on August 26, proposing the creation of a professionally produced advertising campaign for the hospital at no cost. She said the goal is to use the reach and skills of Egypt’s creative community to draw greater attention to the hospital’s needs.
Menna El-Kiey Wants Creatives to Volunteer Their Skills
Rather than simply asking celebrities to promote a donation link, El-Kiey proposed bringing together people from different areas of the entertainment and media industries to create a complete campaign.
Her call was open to anyone able to contribute through filming, editing, acting, singing, composing, camera work or directing, effectively inviting both performers and behind-the-scenes professionals to participate.
El-Kiey suggested that the final campaign could include a specially created song, although she stressed that music was not essential as long as the finished advertisement was powerful enough to attract attention.
The lyricist said she hoped recognizable stars could also take part, helping the campaign reach a wider audience and encouraging more people to support the hospital financially.
“The Situation Is Really Difficult”
In her appeal, El-Kiey said she wanted to produce the campaign as a free gift to Abu El-Reesh, explaining that “the situation is really difficult.”
Her initiative followed increased discussion on Egyptian social media surrounding the hospital and the financial pressures involved in providing treatment, medicine and other necessities for children from families who may struggle to cover those costs.
El-Kiey acknowledged that economic conditions are challenging for many people, but argued that professionals from different creative fields could still contribute their time and expertise even if they were unable to provide substantial financial assistance themselves.
Her proposal therefore turns the traditional concept of a fundraising appeal into a collaborative creative project, using advertising and entertainment as tools to generate attention for the hospital.
Abu El-Reesh Hospital Welcomes the Initiative
The appeal has since received a positive response from Dr. Sherif El-Anwari, director of Abu El-Reesh El-Mounira Children’s Hospital, who thanked El-Kiey and others attempting to support the institution.
El-Anwari emphasized that contributions do not have to be limited to large financial donations, saying that every donation and every useful idea can make a difference to the hospital and the children receiving treatment there.
His response adds momentum to El-Kiey’s proposal as discussions continue over how the campaign could be developed and which artists or production professionals may participate.
No final list of contributors or launch date for the proposed advertisement had been publicly announced at the time of writing.
Donations Play an Important Role at Abu El-Reesh
Abu El-Reesh forms part of Cairo University’s Kasr Al-Ainy hospital system and is one of Egypt’s best-known centers specializing in pediatric care.
Donations from individuals, families and civil society organizations have historically contributed to the development of its facilities and medical capabilities.
Earlier in 2026, Cairo University inaugurated new intensive-care facilities at Abu El-Reesh Japanese Children’s Hospital, including specialized units for cardiac catheterization and neurosurgery cases involving newborns. The development projects cost more than EGP 44 million, with university officials highlighting the importance of community support in helping the hospital maintain and expand its services.
Further developments announced in June included a new 15-bed intensive care unit funded partly through donations, while upgrades at Abu El-Reesh El-Mounira also received significant charitable support. Cairo University said its children’s hospital system collectively serves hundreds of thousands of young patients each year.
The Entertainment Industry Could Give the Campaign Greater Reach
El-Kiey’s initiative reflects the considerable reach Egypt’s entertainment industry can bring to charitable campaigns.
By combining singers, actors, composers, directors, editors and production crews, a professionally created advertisement could potentially reach audiences far beyond a conventional fundraising announcement.
For El-Kiey, whose career has centered on writing songs and collaborating with leading Egyptian performers, the initiative also provides an opportunity to use the same creative network behind major entertainment projects for a humanitarian purpose.
She recently collaborated with Amr Diab on the song El Mofadal from his album Habetak, continuing a songwriting career that has included collaborations with several prominent Egyptian performers.
A Call for Egypt’s Creatives to Come Together
For now, the Abu El-Reesh campaign remains at the mobilization stage, with El-Kiey inviting anyone capable of contributing creatively to get involved.
Her message is built around a simple idea: a person does not necessarily need to be a doctor or a major donor to help a hospital.
A singer can lend a voice, a composer can create music, a filmmaker can shoot an advertisement and an actor can use their visibility to help the message travel further.
With Abu El-Reesh officials welcoming the initiative, Menna El-Kiey’s appeal could bring together different corners of Egypt’s creative community around one shared objective — helping more people hear the hospital’s story and encouraging greater support for the children it serves.
