CAIRO: Egypt and Liverpool football hero Mohamed Salah does more than score goals and win trophies — he also has a knack for charity, as he has shown in his hometown of Nagrig in the Egyptian governorate of Gharbia.
The opening of a new ambulance center, donated by the footballer to the village, was announced this week by Tarek Rahmy, mayor of Gharbia.
Salah’s father, Haj Salah Ghaly, was present at the announcement, along with Dr. Magdy Awad, head of Gharbia’s ambulance institute, and Dr. Abdel Naser Hemeida, Gharbia’s health ministry representative.
The ambulance center, which reportedly cost 600,000 Egyptian pounds ($37,200), will serve 30,000 people in the village.
Salah does not forget his roots, something he proves time and again through his actions. The ambulance center is only the latest act of charity in a long list of good deeds by the Egyptian superstar.
In Nagrig, girls had to travel long distances to receive an education. So, in 2018, Salah financed the building of a girls’ school in the village. He also bought land to donate to Gharbia, which will be used to build a sewage treatment plant, guaranteeing clean water in the region.
The Liverpool winger previously bought medical equipment for his village and also set up a charity foundation to supply the needy on a monthly basis.
He helped his old school set up a football pitch and gym so students could enjoy proper facilities to practice sports and lead a healthy lifestyle.
Most recently, Salah donated food to the city of Basyoun during the COVID-19 pandemic.
His charity also reaches beyond his hometown. He helped Egypt by making a 5 million Egyptian pound donation to the “Tahya Masr Fund” in 2016. Last year Salah donated more than 50 million Egyptian pounds to the National Cancer Institute.
Salah has the nickname “the happiness maker” for a reason. While his actions on the pitch inspire, those off the field matter just as much.
