With the Red Sea on one side and desert and mountains on the other, the Egyptian port town of Safaga, 53 km from Hurghada, is a popular holiday destination for Europeans. Tourism provides a livelihood for many locals, but women often face greater challenges in accessing economic opportunities.
Since 2025, together with our partner, the Omar Ibn El Khattab Association, the DERTOUR Foundation has been supporting a project that combines economic participation, social integration, and more sustainable production, placing women – often overlooked – at the center.
The Omar Ibn El Khattab Association runs a small tailoring workshop in Safaga. Currently, the workshop is equipped with only a few sewing machines, where 18 women produce handmade items – including the charming Sentido Green Buddies, sold at the new Aldiana and Sentido hotels in Naga Bay.
Most of the women working in the workshop are widows or single mothers, earning a living to support their families.
The DERTOUR Foundation is equipping the small tailoring workshop with modern tools and additional sewing machines while providing the women with solid, industry-level training in the textile sector. This will enable at least 50 women to earn a sustainable income in the future.
What benefits the women should also be future-proof and environmentally responsible. That’s why the workshop is being fitted with a modern air-conditioning system and a solar power setup, allowing it to operate more independently and in an eco-friendlier way, ensuring long-term viability and growth. In addition, more sustainable recycled materials are being used, and waste-reduction techniques are being implemented.
The impact this project has on the women and their families is clearly visible. One of the widows puts it in simple words: “This workshop has given me hope and the ability to support my children. With the new equipment, I believe we can achieve even more.” This project is therefore not only an investment in the future of these families, but also in courage, dignity, and hope.
To boost demand for workshop products, the DERTOUR Foundation is partnering with the Aldiana and Sentido hotels in Naga Bay. Every two weeks, the women present and sell their products to guests at charming sales stands in both hotels – another important step toward securing their income. They also offer their products to additional hotels in the Safaga area upon request.
The Green Buddies project is part of the sustainability initiative of DERTOUR Hotels & Resorts. Hotel brands such as ananea, Aldiana, Sentido, and Calimera support the project.
Upon arrival, guests will find a Green Buddy hanging on their room door. Green Buddies come in various designs, each with a local connection. If guests leave it on their door, it signals that they do not wish to have their room cleaned that day – a small action with a big positive impact on the environment.
Guests who would like to take a Green Buddy home as a souvenir can get one at the reception. They are especially popular with children. With every purchase, guests help support the local community.
At Sentido Naga Bay near Safaga, we work with the Omar Ibn El Khattab Association to produce the Green Buddies by hand in the tailoring workshop, using recycled and locally sourced materials. Each one is unique and directly supports the women involved in the project.
The Green Buddies project is part of the sustainability initiative of DERTOUR Hotels & Resorts. Hotel brands such as ananea, Aldiana, Sentido, and Calimera support the project.
Upon arrival, guests will find a Green Buddy hanging on their room door. Green Buddies come in various designs, each with a local connection. If guests leave it on their door, it signals that they do not wish to have their room cleaned that day – a small action with a big positive impact on the environment.
Guests who would like to take a Green Buddy home as a souvenir can get one at the reception. They are especially popular with children. With every purchase, guests help support the local community.
At Sentido Naga Bay near Safaga, we work with the Omar Ibn El Khattab Association to produce the Green Buddies by hand in the tailoring workshop, using recycled and locally sourced materials. Each one is unique and directly supports the women involved in the project.
You can find out more about our cooperation partner,
the Omar Ibn El Khattab Association, on project partners.
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