Aya Shoaib and Hady Bassiony Record Massive Success and Engagement on ElSaha
In line with its ‘A Space for All’ vision and mission to offer the opportunity for all voices to be heard, ElSaha, the Middle East Broadcasting Networks’ Egypt-focused digital platform, announced the broadcast of two new programs by writer Aya Shoaib and young filmmaker Hady Bassiony following their remarkable success on social media.
Aya Shoaib, presents her ‘Peace Zone’ program, aimed at raising awareness among younger generations on psychological challenges and mental well-being, on Thursday evenings. In a lighter vein, Hady Bassiony’s ‘The Final Review’ runs on Friday nights, during which he offers critical analyses of popular culture, diving into the community’s top trending topics in areas such as cinema, sports, and arts. The new episodes are posted on ElSaha’s social media pages, and are uploaded onto the platform’s website.
Hassan Shwiki, Acting President of Middle East Broadcasting Networks, stated: “With eyes set on expanding horizons to fulfill the aspirations of young generations, MBN is advancing its content and programs to realize its vision of portraying diverse ideas, interests, social issues, and civic orientations.”
Nevine Karras, Editor in Charge, ElSaha, commented: “We continuously strive to provide meaningful content that aligns with the new generations’ interests and ambitions. We are further committed to providing space for individuals to innovate creative content and share their views on imperative topics through inspiring stories. As such, we are thrilled to join forces with Aya and Hady and are confident in the added value they bring to the platform and viewers alike.”
Ever since its launch back in 2018, ElSaha has successfully acquired multiple awards. In its first year, ElSaha’s “The Power of Forgiveness” won Best Documentary: Short Form Award in 2019 at The Webby People’s Voice Awards. The documentary also reached the finalists in the Cannes Corporate Media and TV Awards for the Best Web Documentaries. As for its uniquely presented humanitarian stories, ElSaha’s “Overcoming Adversity”, won the Golden Award for Online Documentary at the Telly’s in 2022, whereas “Surviving Bullying” secured the Silver Award within the same category and year. The story was also a finalist nominee for Best Human-Interest Report Award at The New York TV and Films Awards. The “History of Egyptian Cuisine” has also won the Bronze Award in Online Food & Beverage 2022 at the Telly’s.
It is also worth mentioning that ElSaha has been successful in maintaining its footprint in The Egyptian Syndicate of Journalists’ competition every year. In 2018, “The First Story – Hend” won the Best Photojournalism competition. In 2019, Ramsis Wassef won the Encouragement Award, and in 2020, “Dark Room” won the Best Photojournalism. In 2021 “Mario’s Mother: A Rising Star” won the same competition. And most recently, both “The Story of a Nurse from Sinai” and “The Story of Omar Hegazy” won the Best Story Awards in 2022.
In efforts to raise more awareness within the Egyptian community, ElSaha has been known for covering trivial stories on matters such as female genital mutilation. Randa’s Story of Female Genital Mutilation won the Gold Telly Award within the Online – Social Impact category in 2023. Throughout the story, Randa shares her eight minutes of horror when she was seven years old, surviving the dangerous tradition of FGM in Egypt. She then dedicated her life to educating more women about her story and spreading awareness about the danger of female genital mutilation through theatrical performances and storytelling.