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Empowering Women in Egypt

Environment

AKF is encouraging more efficient farming techniques to increase production while also training farmers how to get the most profit from their surplus.

Egypt’s farmland is confined to the banks of the Nile River – a small area to support the 80 million people living in the country. In Egypt’s Aswan Governate, Aga Khan Development Network is helping farmers manage water and other natural resources more efficiently. Chemical fertilizers are a popular tool for increasing crop production, but the chemicals are infiltrating drinking water and damaging the land. By introducing alternative farming techniques and improving marketablity, the Sharaka Program is lowering costs, increasing incomes for poor communities, and benefiting the environment. The program will initially promote environmentally sound agriculture by encouraging the use of compost and efficient irrigation practices. Later, the program will train farmers in crop rotation (to improve the soil), marketing techniques and other skills vital to successfully growing and selling crops.

A woman’s group in Eqleet has shown the benefits of entrepreneurship training.  They are successfully operating a nursery, the leasing of agricultural equipment, and an agri-input business. Women hire men as needed but maintain control of the operation. The group also uses the kitchen garden model successfully.

To complement the training given to farmers and to encourage gender equality, youth and women also receive entrepreneurship training as part of the program. With backyard gardens, women are maintaining a healthy diet and making money from home while youth are getting the skills necessary to one day begin a business. Investing in Aswan Governate's youth ensures that the program is sustainable now and in the future.