Empowerment of Vulnerable Rural Communities Project
Improved Socio-economic Status, Food Security and Empowerment of Vulnerable Rural Communities in Minya Governorate
Minya is one of the largest governorates in Egypt, with a population of over six million people. Poverty levels in Minya Governorate have reached 60 percent of the population, making it one of four governorates with the highest incidence of poverty in Egypt. Almost half of the villages in Minya, equal to a total of 163 villages, are classified by the Hayat Karima Initiative as belonging to “the poorest 1 400” in the country. During the past five years there was a dramatic drop in household income among the extreme poor and landless population, who are concentrated in rural Upper Egypt.
This is largely linked to the COVID-19 pandemic and Russian-Ukraine crisis (as highlighted above) as well as subsequent devaluation of the Egyptian pound and associated high inflation in the country.
Agriculture constitutes the main economic activity in Minya Governorate, employing 49.8 percent of labour. The governorate also accounts for 6.5 percent of the country’s arable land. The main crops grown include maize, sugar beet, sugar cane, and wheat, fruits (e.g. bananas, dates, figs, grapes, mango, olives and orange), vegetables (e.g. cucumber, onion, potato, tomato and watermelon) and medicinal and aromatic plants (e.g. coriander, anise, cumin, marjoram and thyme).
In Minya Governorate, women’s traditional role is mainly associated with domestic and care work, and women themselves, and their fathers/spouses, prefer that they do not work outside the household. On the other hand, traditional gender roles attribute to men the role of primary breadwinner and expect men to provide for all the household members.
Project Outcome
The Project aims to achieve enhancements in incomes, employment, and nutritional status for 2 000 vulnerable rural households within the targeted rural communities of eight selected Hayat Karima villages in Minya Governorate. The project is anticipated to generate 2 000 full-time direct job/self-employment opportunities and an additional 2 000 indirect seasonal/part-time employment opportunities for vulnerable women, youth, and individuals with disabilities. The expected outcomes will be achieved through the following outcomes:
- Gender-based socio-economic baseline surveys conducted, rural household livelihood needs assessed, project targeting strategy developed and eight villages and 2 000 beneficiaries selected (with the full involvement of local women’s focus groups).
- Improved horticultural and small livestock productivity by 1 000 vulnerable smallholder men and women farmers – through the adoption of innovative and improved CSA and PHM technologies and practices and GAP principles. A minimum of 60 percent of beneficiaries will be women.
- Increased income generation for 1 000 landless, unemployed or seasonally working rural women, youth and PWD– through the establishment of homestead-based micro and group-based small agri-food processing enterprises (MSEs) for value addition. A minimum of 90 percent of agri-business beneficiaries will be female.
- Greater awareness of the gender-sensitive and nutritional value of horticultural and animal produce and healthy diets by 2 000 families in the eight-targeted villages (including those of the women targeted through the FFSs and FBSs and support to micro and small-enterprise development).
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Project Information
Government Counterparts
- Ministry of Social Solidarity (Moss).
- Ministry of Agriculture and Land Reclamation (MALR).
Geographic Coverage: Minya Governorate.
Duration: 1 December 2023 – 31 November 2026.
Funding: Norwegian Embassy in Cairo.
Project Impact
The Project will contribute to reduced poverty, improved food security and nutrition and resilient livelihoods for vulnerable rural communities and building back a more sustainable climate-resilient food system. This to ensure that no one relying on agricultural production for their wellbeing is left behind (especially those most affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and Russia-Ukraine conflict).