This was Noura Shukri Abdel Hamid, a 32-year-old Egyptian farmer, from the village of Burtabat, Maghagha District in El-Minya Governorate. Neither she nor her husband had adequate education, but she wants a better future and a better life for her children. She is; therefore, keen that her eldest son Abdullah (15 years old) and his younger brother Abd al-Rahman (11 years old) get a decent education until they obtain their “great certificate”, as she uttered, meaning a university degree.
She has different expectations for her two-year-old daughter, Habiba. She would be quite satisfied if Habiba completes her secondary stage education, and then gets married, as is the case with many girls in the village. If circumstances help her continue her education as with her male siblings, then good and well.
"We kept waiting long days and nights for relief, for the COVID-19 crisis to pass leaving us in peace without having to lose any family member. We had insufficient nutrition, and medical services were not easily accessible, so we depended heavily on traditional recipes and herbal remedies". 
She endured, coped and did not give up hope. "My husband is a simple farmer with an intermittent job that doesn’t ensure enough income for the whole family. I was always looking for an opportunity to support him in covering the living expenses and improve my family's livelihood, until the project on improving the livelihoods and nutrition of rural women and their families affected by the COVID-19 pandemic in Minya Governorate appeared offering small animal rearing projects for families via NGOs working with the project. I applied for this opportunity via one of the associations working with the project, and was luckily selected after they’ve reviewed my social status and living conditions”.
Accordingly, Noura, and others selected by the project, were trained on the basics of running micro-projects, conducting a simple market and feasibility study, how to market their products, and determine the appropriate time for sale. She was also trained on how to properly raise goats and sheep, adequately providing homemade feed at lower costs, following up on the animals’ health conditions and reporting on any symptoms early on in order to avoid infections. She received two female goats and 250 kg of feed to kick-start her own business.
"The goat project, which I received from FAO, will help me improve my livelihood and provide an income for my family, which is mostly needed. I received 2 female goats and 250 kilos of fodder and look forward to having 20 goats. I will sell the male goats born and leave the female goats in the herd so that they reproduce more goats, as taught by the FAO Farmer Field School,” said Noura. Now she has hope to grow her dream business project and attain her aspiration for a better life and future!
The project on Improved livelihoods, nutrition and empowerment of rural women and their families in Minya Governorate is implemented by FAO Egypt in cooperation with the Ministry of Social Solidarity (MoSS) and funded by the Global Affairs Canada.
Contact: Rawya Eldabi / Mohamed Moussa, Communications Team, FAO Egypt