The First Integrative Health Centre in Egypt 

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The Integrative Health Centre (IHC) was founded in 2021 in the middle of the Covid-19 pandemic as one of the research centres at Heliopolis University (HU). It aims to foster practices for holistic health services to the wider society, in continuation of the work at the SEKEM medical centre which was founded in 1991. Currently we provide health services for 300 staff members, 4000 students at HU, and 1300employees at SEKEM companies. We are also expanding our services to the local communities in collaboration with the Faculties of Pharmacy and Physiotherapy at HU. We make visits to the villages in the rural areas and treat patients who are unable to access health care. We also focus on preventing illness through well-being awareness programs. We are in the process of developing complementary therapies in its interdisciplinary practices including eurythmy therapy, art therapy and Egyptian traditional therapies, etc.

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Masters Research in Eurythmy Therapy 

 

Eurythmy Therapy 

In parallel with the development of the Integrative Health Centre, my new professional path has emerged. My name is Nana Woo, I have worked and lived at the SEKEM farm since 2019. At first, I worked as an
instructor of social eurythmy at the SEKEM companies and Heliopolis University. During the Covid-19 pandemic, the awareness of health was increased among students and employees. I got more and more
personal requests on how to improve their health conditions, including mental health. Given the high importance of integrative health, I decided to take an MA program in Eurythmy Therapy so that I could be qualified to treat people with illness and also support them in the prevention of it. I also recognised the need to attain a higher degree of education in order to collaborate with other physicians and practitioners in Egypt, which could foster ever more potential to successfully introduce this “new” approach to health service in Egypt.

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Research on Women Health & Well being in Egypt 

After completing the second module of eurythmy therapy training in September 2022, I started offering one-to-one eurythmy therapy sessions to students and staff at HU and employees at SEKEM. The
planning and evaluation of the sessions are supervised by professional eurythmy therapists and a doctor who has a background in Anthroposophical medicine. Ninety percent of my patients are women. I
have a good network of female students and employees because of my previous work in facilitating a women’s empowerment program for two years. To my surprise, many of them complained about gynaecological problems such as menorrhagia, oligomenorrhea, PMT, Fibroids, etc.
When I documented the health assessment form, some of them shared their past histories of abusive relationships, domestic violence and female genital mutilation. After having sessions of eurythmy therapy
with its gentle and delicate movement, they told me it supported the rebuilding of a connection with their body and also their mental well- being. I am planning to do my MA research on women's health in Egypt

and how eurythmy therapy can accompany different stages and transitions in women's and girls lives to prevent negative health outcomes and/or to restore and maintain their positive health and wellbeing.

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Funding Request  

The organisations at SEKEM are supporting me by accommodating the required absence through appropriate work scheduling and accommodating my new field of research on the subject of women’s
health in Egypt. Unfortunately, they are unable to provide financial support for my eurythmy therapy study fees and travel to and from Egypt to attend classes twice a year. The MA qualifications offered by
Alanus Hochschule (Germany) will take about three years to become fully qualified and this training can only be acquired in Europe. The tuition fees and the minimum cost (including travelling, living and study
expenses in Forest Row, UK) is approximately 13,000 Euros for the three years of training. Therefore, I thank you in advance for your kind consideration of this request and taking the time to read about my
journey. May all of our diverse human capacities encourage us to unfold and reveal our true potential and contribute back to the community.

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