GHNI Transformational Community Development (TCD) project in Cairo funded by CT Trust.

Project date: 2023-2028.

In 2023 CTT adopted a village in Cairo that is part of a new Transformational Community Development Project (TCD) programme run by GHNI. The name of the village is Ezbet El Haggana.

Some TCD work has already been underway in the village over the last few years (a local committee of 9 people was formed & a TCD training team has been holding training sessions with them, and awareness sessions within the community). However limited funding has meant that progress has been slow. In March 2023 we agreed to adopt this village & to fund a full TCD Project there.

Background:

Ezbet El Haggana is a village in a poor neighbourhood in East Cairo. Most of its residents are poor Sudanese and Egyptian refugees who left their villages in Upper Egypt and came to live in this region, and it is divided into two parts: The Sudanese part, which is considered one of the poorest communities in the region, suffers from poor health, especially among women and children, unemployment and unclean water. The Egyptian part, they are immigrants from poor villages in Upper Egypt to live near the capital to improve the standard of living, and they suffer the same problems with their Sudanese brothers. The area needs additional sources of income. The average monthly income is around $100 USD, and this is the minimum wage in Egypt. About 50% of children in the region suffer from anemia as a result of mothers’ lack of awareness of proper nutrition. With high unemployment and drug proliferation, the training team hopes to address these issues through the Transformational Society Development Program.

Updates:

• Local committee Formed & TCD Training Given: Local committee was formed of 9 people, and training team trained the committee in the on how to help people in all aspects of their moral, psychological, health and social lives. TCD local committee members are considering starting small projects because the unemployment rate is very high in the neighborhood, and also work to address many problems such as the spread of diseases especially anemia and high blood pressure. The community has responded well to the TCD teaching.

• TCD Training Team: has been holding awareness sessions with the community. During discussions on the importance of community ownership, the difference between relief and development, and the need to use local resources, two local champions have emerged – the priest Mamdouh, who is is Egyptian, and Mr. Nabil who is Sudanese. The TCD training team will continue to visit training committee members and program volunteers regularly (twice a week) in lessons that focus on the needs that the village continues to identify.

• Weekly classes for women

Photos:

Local TCD committee training meetings: