Project description

Title: The Social Development and Civil Society: Children at Risk Programme
Commissioned by: European Commission
Financier: European Commission
Country: Egypt
Lead executing agency: National Council for Childhood and Motherhood
Overall term: 2005 to 2009

Context

In order to improve the social position of children, in 1989 the Egyptian Government set up the national programme, Decade for the Protection of the Egyptian Child; in 2000 this was extended for a further ten years. Furthermore, Egypt played host in 1990 to the United Nations World Summit for Children. Nevertheless the education and health sectors still pose major challenges to development of the mostly young Egyptian society. In 2003, the European Commission and the Egyptian Government agreed on a programme for the following risk groups: girls with no access to basic education, girls threatened with genital mutilation, street children and children exploited as labourers or disabled.

Objective

The living conditions of marginalised children and their social integration have been sustainably improved. Non-governmental organisations working for child rights receive more support from public institutions.

Approach

On behalf of the European Commission, GTZ’s International Services (GTZ IS) is supporting the multi-facetted programme Children at Risk., The Egyptian National Council for Childhood and Motherhood (NCCM) is implementing the programme in cooperation with numerous Egyptian and international governmental and non-governmental organisations (NGOs). Among the tasks assigned to GTZ IS in the first year was to draw up all tendering and contract documents worth more than EUR 11 million. Following completion of the selection process, until today GTZ IS has been supporting the steering and monitoring of its partners work - 14 major NGOs with over 70 other local NGOs. These were selected in a tendering process to conduct innovative activities for endangered children. A further large group being given assistance are the builders of 192 small neighbourhood schools for girls.

The groups and stakeholders taking part in the programme receive support for capacity development. That means the men and women working for NCCM, government organisations at various levels, and the non-governmental organisations. They are either directly involved in the implementation or they support the measures to be carried out.

GTZ IS has developed and implemented these measures. The NGOs receive especially intensive support. One objective is to ensure their measures are innovative and that they are implemented effectively with corresponding grant management. In addition to that, they are strengthened in their role as equal partners vis-à-vis governmental organisations.

The development of potentials, competencies and performance capacities promotes sustainable development.  When the financial support ends, it is expected that activities will continue at all levels.

Further information

• Local websites of the programme
  www.children-atrisk.org