OUR IMPACTFUL PROJECTS TO IMPROVE NUTRITION
EGYPT
Creating economic opportunities for women in a desert environment
WHY EGYPT?
Egypt has a population of 92 million people with poverty rising
- 1 in 4 Egyptians live under the poverty line, with high widespread unemployment especially for women and youth
- 1 in 5 children in Egypt are chronically malnourished, with 2/3 of child mortality attributable to malnutrition
Water scarcity prevents productive and sustainable agriculture
- The project takes place in the Matrouh Governorate. It is the 2nd largest region by area, yet one of the poorest in Egypt and one of the few which practices rain-fed agriculture with a chronic water deficit.
- There is a poor consumption of vegetables, fruits, animal-sourced foods (chicken and pigeons)
High gender inequality due to the hierarchical and patriarchal structure of society
- Only 22% of women participate in the labour force – most women are confined to homesteads with few economic opportunities for productive employment
- 44% of women in Matrouh (project area) are illiterate and have limited access to basic social services (domestic water supply, sanitation, health, education, electricity, transport)
Project Partners
IFAD : Financial partner and designer of project
Government of Egypt (Ministry of Agriculture and Land Reclamation) : Financial partner and project lead
Deserts research Center (affiliated to the Ministry of Agriculture and Land Reclamation) : implementer of project
SDGs supported by the project
PROJECT OVERVIEW
Accessing nutritious food in the Matrouh region can be a challenge to mothers and children due to limited availability and lack of money. This is why we will work together with the Government of Egypt to increase women’s income through sustainable production, combining it with nutrition and gender education, and give mothers the tools they need to improve the lives of their entire family and communities. Given that olives, figs, and livestock are the main source of income of rural people, we will provide them with equipment to help them transform and sell the food.
The expected impact is to improve diet diversity, quality and consumption of nutritious food of 13,500 people – a pathway to chronic malnutrition prevention.
How will we improve nutrition?
Increase women’s income through technologies and training – when women have more income, they invest it in their children's health, nutrition and education
- Provide each of 60 communities with solar powered drying units for figs or units for processing olive oil pressing (4,500 smallholder women farmers will be provided with them)
Boost families’ access to nutritious foods and sustainable agriculture
- Cultivate the Moringa tree (high content of vitamins and minerals)
- Provide 1,040 women with protein-rich foods via support for pigeon towers, poultry, goat. We will also train them on veterinary care
- Train and provide kits to the women on climate smart agriculture: Green gardening, utilization of organic materials
Accelerate women’s education and training on social and behaviour practices
- Enroll 4,000 women and girl in literacy programs
- Train 10,500 households on water and sanitation practices, on improving nutrition using locally available foods and on nutritional benefits of moringa tree leaves
Where is our project?
Egypt, Matrouh Governorate. Districts: El Salloum, Barrani, El Negila, Marsa Matrouh, El Dabaa, El Moghra and Siwa
Project Gallery
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Project Details
Project Statistic (e.g. received food) :
Partner: International Fund for Agricultural Development
Project Statistic Unit (e.g. 5.780) :
Project Area (e.g. Africa) :
Africa