The most recent agreement concerning the Equal Opportunities and Social Development Project (EOSD) which is operated by the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) and runs in Egypt from 2022 to 2024, has been signed by GIZ and Egypt’s ministries of Social Solidarity and Youth and Sports.
GIZ is an international enterprise owned by the German Federal Government, operating in many fields across more than 130 countries. Its EOSD looks to engage the social participation of youth, especially young women and people with disabilities.
In Egypt, through the Ministry of Social Solidarity (MoSS), the project works with NGOs and youth initiatives to run small-scale projects on gender equality, inclusion and population development; high-profile campaigns inform a large number of young people about the specified issues.
The NGOs, selected by a joint committee representing GIZ and MoSS for the first phase of the project, signed the grant contracts on 11 May in a ceremony attended by Social Solidarity Minister Nevine al-Kabbaj (also written al-Kabbag) Head of German Development Cooperation in Egypt Holger Illi, senior officials from GIZ and MoSS, and the NGO representatives.
Dr Kabbaj highlighted the importance of capitalising on civil society partnerships and their impactful contributions to Egypt’s National Vision 2030; whereas Mr Illi talked about the consolidated efforts of the German Development Cooperation and the MoSS vis-à-vis the EOSD project. MoSS and GIZ representatives talked about the key highlights of both entities in reaching target groups especially women and persons with disabilities. Cartias Egypt’s Magdy Helmy who doubles as MoSS’s advisor for the Waai programme together with Dina Iskandar, Deputy Head of EOSD project, talked about the collaborative process between MoSS and GIZ in identifying relevant civil society partners and promising projects. They also gave a glimpse of the second phase of the project which is in the launching phase.
The signing ceremony celebrated the launch of 38 developmental projects through 16 partner NGOs contributing to the EOSD project in tackling issues of social participation, gender equality, inclusion of persons with disabilities, and reproductive health.
The grant recipient NGOs included ACDA Egypt, Care Egypt Foundation, Caritas Egypt, CEOSS, El-Nidaa, Heya, Lekaa, Life Vision, Om Habibeh Foundation, and TAD. Representing MoSS was Ayman Abdel-Mawgoud, Assistant Minister for NGO and Civil Society Affairs; and representing GIZ was Kay Andraschko, Deputy Country Director and Head of EOSD project.
Watani International
16 May 2023
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