How did ‘Haya Karima’ change livelihood in Egypt’s villages?

CAIRO – 31 March 2021: A study by the Egyptian Center for Strategic Studies has revealed how the social initiative “Haya Karima” has changed the livelihoods in the Egyptian villages.

The study said that there was 75 percent of the villages in Egypt suffer apparent shortage in some development sectors, services and facilities such as clean water networks, sanitation and gas, electricity, schools and hospitals.

The study has confirmed that “Haya Karima” has worked to improve the standard of living and provide job opportunities in small and medium enterprises for the poor in the most needy areas.

In 2020, Haya Karima was announced as a non-profit organization to implement the objectives of the initiative. A cooperation between three main ministries: Local Development, Social Solidarity and Planning, in addition to the participation of 16 civil society institutions.

The initiative has provided financial support to the most needy citizens, as well as services including medical, residential and job opportunities.

The study added that in 2021, the initiative has expanded to become a national project for the development of the Egyptian countryside, developing approximately 4,500 villages, and 30,888 estates in about 26 governorates, with a population of approximately 57 percent of the population of Egypt.

The study indicated that the national project for the development of the Egyptian countryside is integrated and consistent with more than seven of the sustainable development goals, according to what was announced by the United Nations, and the General Secretariat of the United Nations Organization agreed to include and publish the Egyptian plan in the register of the platform "Partnerships for the Achievement of Sustainable Development Goals".

He added that with by the beginning of the fiscal year 2019/2020, the first phase of the initiative was developed to cover 143 poor villages, and then 232 other villages in the year 2020/202. In light of the achievements of the initiative in its first phase, it has contributed to reducing poverty rates for the first time in the history of Egypt, through the implementation of investments exceeding 7.5 billion pounds in these villages by the end of December 2020.