Hope Village Society, Egypt, is celebrating a successful micro-finance project which has been helping vulnerable families and children in a deprived part of Greater Cairo. The scheme, set up in partnership with Save the Children Egypt, has provided small loans to over 1,000 families in Ezbet El Haganna over the last two years. This has enabled many to set up small, income-generating projects in the local area and in turn prevented children being sent onto the streets by desperate parents.
Secretary General, Dr Abla El-Badry, explains: “We deliberately opened a reception centre in this severly disadvataged area because it lacks employment opportunities and infrastructure and is notorious for producing many street children.
“The centre seeks to strengthen families through awareness-raising, advice, schooling and other services, and the micro-finance project allowed us to offer families training and skills-building.”
We believe this scheme offers valuable learning and the opportunity for replication in similar communities in other very poor urban areas.” – Dr Abla El-Badry, Hope Village Society
Hope Village Society is now setting up a second micro-finance project in Giza. A site is currently being sought for a new reception centre which will specifically target girls and young street mothers. The centre will open in December 2014 and offer this vulnerable group social care, specialised psychological rehabilitation and reintegration support.
