(CNN) -- It has been a rocky couple of years for the people of Egypt. Since the 2011 revolution, the economy has tanked, street protests are an almost daily occurrence and the political situation remains volatile. 

However, a handful of young Egyptians have found that the best way to take a stand against the turmoil is with stand-up comedy. 

"We are like a little beam of sunlight, coming through and reminding people, 'Don't worry! When this cloud passes, it will be brighter. It will be happier,'" says Rami Borai, a comedian in one of Egypt's first home-grown comedy troupes, Hezb El Comedy. 

The group, whose name means "The Comedy Party," was formed in 2009 by Hashim Al Gahry, who admits he started up with "zero capital." Al Gahry and some friends pooled their savings, and started marketing the group through social media. When they're not performing, Hezb El Comedy teaches the art of stand-up to other aspiring comics, instructing them on things like timing and body language. 

"We're not the funniest people in the world, but it's the experience that has put us in a position to give them advice and tell them, 'These are our mistakes, and this is what you can do to avoid what we did,'" says Al Gahry. 

Read more: Book shows collection of Iran's political cartoons 

Other Arab nations are similarly investing in grassroots comedy. In Qatar, a few young comics have come together to form SUCQ (an acronym for Stand Up Comedy Qatar). 

"It's an American art. We took it from the Americans. We have reshaped it to adapt to our culture and society and people," says Hamad Al Amri, 24, a comedian who is also a banker by day. Mohamed Kamal, who also performs stand-up with SUCQ, notes that given Qatar's political climate, there are limits to what he can joke about. 
Did he have any capital at all?
The group, whose name means "The Comedy Party," was formed in 2009 by Hashim Al Gahry, who admits he started up with "zero capital."