Salsabeel Charity started the way a lot of good things do: informally, and out of necessity.
Nehal Azab, who has lived in Abbotsford since 1994, had always helped people in Egypt on her own — finding families who needed food, or covering medical costs for someone who couldn't afford care. It was never organized. Eventually, she and her son Eiad El Fateh, who grew up in Abbotsford before moving to Ottawa, decided to make it official. In 2022, they co-founded Salsabeel Charity. It became a registered Canadian charity in 2024.
The connection to Abbotsford runs deeper than geography. Nehal works at the Abbotsford Food Bank, and it was that experience — watching how a food bank operates — that gave them the model for what they wanted to build in Egypt. It's also where she met Kyoka, who is now on Salsabeel's board of directors.
"A lot of what we are doing in Egypt was influenced by my mom's experience working at the food bank in Abbotsford," El Fateh says.
The charity provides monthly food assistance to families in Siwa and Borg El Arab, and has expanded from 15 families to 45 in about a year. It also runs a university bursary program and has helped graduating students pay outstanding fees so they could sit their final exams. Every person involved is a volunteer. The founders cover administrative costs themselves.
"The easiest way I explain it is that if someone gives us $20, I want that $20 to go to the people we're trying to help," El Fateh says.
The communities Salsabeel supports are facing significant hardship — many families are living on $200 a month or less. The charity's close relationships with local volunteers in Egypt are central to how it operates. When circumstances change, they hear about it. Earlier this week, the student they had planned to support through a fundraiser at their upcoming event got engaged, and her fiancé is now able to cover her expenses. Salsabeel is already working with local volunteers to identify another student from Siwa who needs the support more.
That upcoming event is the Egyptian Market, taking place August 29 at OPEX Abbotsford from 4 to 8 p.m. It's free to attend. Vendors include Zeinaty Jewelry, Abood Fashion, KG Henna, Myriad Portraits, and food vendors including Rania's Kitchen, Amal's Kitchen, and Iced Out Desserts. There will be an Arabic DJ, Egyptian coffee and hibiscus tea, kids' activities, and a photo booth.
Vendor tables are being offered free of charge — a deliberate choice at a time when rising costs and tariffs have made things difficult for small businesses. "If the event can help vendors reach new customers and make some sales, that is a win for us too," El Fateh says.
He'll be travelling from Ottawa specifically to help host the event alongside his mother and their local volunteers. For him, it brings together the things that matter most: his family's long connection to Abbotsford, their Egyptian heritage, and the work they now manage together across two countries.
