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El Mashrou3 is Egypt’s first reality TV competition for entrepreneurs and social-preneurs.

While the initiative focuses on social projects, it also accepts “typical” businesses since they help decreasing the level of unemployment.

“The program aims to promote and support entrepreneurship in Egypt by reaching out to a vast portion of the public and educating them about starting their own businesses, given the economic and social challenges that are present in Egypt,” explains Miraye Saddik, Casting Manager at El Mashrou3.

The show is sponsored by Ashoka, Injaz al Arab, Egypreneur, and Nahdet El Mahrousa, among many others. The judges haven’t been announced yet, nor the channel that will be broadcasting the show.

Organizers point out that the importance of the program derives from its ability to educate, guide, connect and fund participants. The awards include a handsome cash prize for the grand winner, in addition to other prizes that will be awarded to the winners from each episode including: cash, cell phones, airline tickets, web design, consulting, legal assistance or personal mentoring or training. Currently the show is in the process of choosing the 16 finalist applicants based on their ideas.

Women and citizens from rural areas were given priority over other submissions in an effort to empower them. The show is expected to debut during April of 2013.

We are eagerly anticipating El Mashrou3 in the hopes that it will reinforce the notion and potential of entrepreneurship in creating jobs, inspire viewers to start their own projects, and educate Egyptians on the available resources and tools that enables them to fulfill their dreams. We also believe that it will prove to be a well executed and exciting program, albeit the ‘Big Brother’ stance mentioned in the FAQs, where organizers claim that they will monitor the participants’ daily interactions, which we believe contradicts the principles set forth by the show concerning unorthodox thinking, self independence, and self realization.

El Mashrou3 is the first Arabic speaking reality show focused on entrepreneurs in the region, and the second such program following the English speaking ‘The Entrepreneur’ which can be seen on Dubai One and YouTube.

You can volunteer for the show on the following link. To keep track of the latest developments like their Facebook page, follow them on Twitter, or subscribe to their YouTube page.