In 2020 the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) in Egypt received a contribution of 15 million Euro from the Egyptian-German Debt Swap Programme and used these funds to support families with their nutritional and educational needs within the framework of the project „Investing in Human Capital in Rural Upper Egypt“. Providing opportunities for women to generate their own incomes in order to make them more self-sufficient and help strengthen families’ resilience was one of the main objectives of the project.

Now, one year later, tangible results of the fruitful partnership between the WFP, the German Development Bank (KfW) and the Egyptian partners in implementing the project have become visible: WFP reached out to women in rural and marginalised communities and offered them microloans, training, advice and networking possibilities. With this support, many of them were able to start their own income generating projects - a step that has made a significant change in their lives.

Zeinab is one of the women who have with great commitment seized the opportunities opened to by the WFP program. A skilled artisan manufacturing pharaonic statuettes, she was able to make her business more efficient and to buy new equipment allowing several of her family members to find work in her growing project, too. Another success-story is that of Aya who, with support from the program, has managed to fulfil her dream of opening her own hairdressing salon. She recently even expanded her business by renting out bridal dresses.

Stories like these do not only show, that the support does indeed arrive were it is needed, they also reflect the sustainable and long-lasting approach: Women like Zeinab and Aya pass on their experience and newly acquired knowledge, they manage to expand their projects and help others generate an income, too, thus making an impact for the generations to come. Together with the Egyptian government, KfW, and the WFP, Germany is determined to continue on this path of fruitful cooperation and make a difference in people’s lives.