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Annual Report (Executive Summary) |
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Part One:
Changing the Landscape of the Disadvantaged |
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Section I: Realizing a Vision for Poverty
Alleviation and Unemployment Reduction |
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Section II: SFD
Special Units |
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Section I: Realizing a Vision for Poverty
Alleviation and Unemployment Reduction |
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The SFD has
emphasized, throughout its programs, the support required for
capacity building in the provision of services, resource
generation, financing and overall stewardship. It has addressed
the most difficult issues and challenges facing the Egyptian
society, namely combating poverty and contributing to the
reduction of unemployment.
Within the framework of the efforts of the Government of Egypt to
enhance development and improve living conditions of vulnerable
groups, the SFD was involved in the design of a poverty map of
Egypt. The map comprises a database that serves as a reference and
a support mechanism to identify and target low-income groups. It
also covers a number of indicators and various programs
of assistance and services that are aimed at low-income groups ,
in particular female-headed households.
Unemployment in Egypt has been caused by a rapid increase of the
labor force, with a concomitants lack of investments needed to
create new productive job opportunities to absorb this increasing
labor force. The SFD's commitment to addressing youth unemployment
can be seen by the extent to which all of its core programs work
on the provision of the maximum number of new job opportunities.
SFD also considered women's unemployment.
This is because women's participation in the labor force has
significantly risen in the last decade. In its job creation, the
SFD has made sure that its programs take these realities into
consideration, ensuring that the relevant target population groups
are addressed. It has frequently been able to mobilize additional
funding in support of the disadvantaged groups in society. For
example because of the confidence generated throughout the years,
the Small Enterprise Development Organization (SEDO) has succeeded
in motivating financial intermediaries to provide loans to start
small and medium enterprises (SMEs), and enable them to expand
their operations through this expansion, job opportunities are
created offering avenues for the employment of the poor and
unemployed.
Whilst microcredit is an effective tool to assist the poor escape
the vicious cycle of poverty, the provision of microcredit in and
of itself is insufficient. In order to reach this objective,
improved skills, raising awareness, literacy, health care, and
other essential services are imperative. The SFD's Community
Development Program has as its main objective the improvement of
living conditions of the poorest and facilitating their access to
goods, services and opportunities. Important objectives of poverty
alleviation are achieved by strengthening institutions at the
peripheral level, with the active participation and strengthening
of the local communities themselves.
The SFD has made sure that through its programs, indicators and
measurements of achievement and performance are carried out in
order to ensure accountability; first and foremost to the people,
and also to the international community. The SFD through its
programs has supported government policies and initiatives
contributing to the self-respect and hope of the underprivileged
in Egypt. |
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Section
II: SFD Special Units : |
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Unit for Research on
Improvements in Standards of Living : |
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Throughout the year
2000, the Unit for Research on Improvements in Standards of Living
(URSOL) worked in support of the SFD as a development organization
in its main objectives of poverty alleviation, employment
generation, and enterprise development. It conducted a series of
workshops, training courses, and conferences for SFD staff, field
workers and other agencies involved in poverty alleviation and the
overall improvement of standards of living of the poor. The
purpose of these training activities was to offer participants the
opportunity to learn new skills that will enhance their capacity
to deal with social, economic and cultural change that are
conductive to improved standards of living of disadvantaged
population groups. URSOL has also worked on the development of an
impact assessment manual to be utilized as a guideline by SFD
practitioners in partner agencies in conducting impact
assessments. |
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Gender Unit : |
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The Gender Unit has
sought to increase the accessibility of its programs to both men
and women. More specific gender interventions have been introduced
to enhance the inclusion of women in social and economic life,
with a focus on female-headed households and female employment.
Commitment in bridging the gender gap in Egypt utilizing a
catalytic approach in its coordination and support of policies,
programs and projects of the SFD, has been a principal challenge.
Participation, democratization, decentralization, regionalization
and empowerment, have been the main approaches used, involving
both gender integrated and women specific actions. A strategy was
developed to enable and support the capacity of women
entrepreneurs to benefit from SEDO loans and facilities, and
progressively increase the percentage of women loan beneficiaries
in the portfolio.
The Gender Unit attempted to incorporate gender issues in ongoing
SFD activities. Working with sectoral areas of employment
generation, poverty alleviation, population, education and health
is leading to better inclusion of, and service to, poor women and
the girl child. The Poverty Map has helped identify the poor women
in particular of female-headed households. |
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Environment and
Development Unit : |
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During the course of
the year 2000, the Environment and Development Unit (EDU) has
worked on translating the concepts of environment and development
into practical interventions at the operational level. Training
remained a cornerstone activity, aimed at building the capacity of
SFD staff as well as sponsoring agencies on the environmental
field through training seminars and workshops throughout the
governorates. These were tailored to address high priority
environmental problems in the different governorates, as
identified by the managers of the SFD regional offices. The EDU
has also been actively participating in upgrading the monitoring
system. The first stage of the system was completed and will be
put into operation during the first months of 2001. Environmental
indicators included in the second stage will ensure that all
projects are environmentally monitored and assessed.
Environmental compliance of projects has remained of critical
importance. In addition, training seminars were designed to
address high priority environmental problems in different
governorates. |
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Copyright © 2001
Social Fund for Development Egypt All rights reserved |
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