In 6 years, value of Egypt's monetary subsidies program rises sixfold

CAIRO – 18 August 2021: Field Operations Manager at the Ministry of Social Solidarity Yasser Abdel Salam stated in a phone-in Tuesday that the amount of monetary subsidies disbursed in FY2020/2021 within Takaful w Karama program had reached LE20 billion.

The official underlined that the sum is six times that of FY2015/2016, which is the launching year, where the number of beneficiary families was just 63,000. By mid-May, the figure has become 3.4 million families.

Abdel Salam noted that the program is now operating in all villages and low-income neighborhoods.

Takaful wa Karama provides conditional family income support aimed at increasing food consumption, reducing poverty, while encouraging families to keep children at school and providing them with needed health care.
 

Along with ensuring that vulnerable families receive basic nutrition, the goal is to build the human capital of the next generation and give them a path out of poverty.
 

The program is "conditional", meaning that households receive a monthly transfer of LE 325 providing they are compliant with certain clearly defined requirements.
 

These include all household children should be aged 6-18 and have at least an 80 percent school attendance record, four visits per year to health clinics by mothers and children below the age of 6, where child growth monitoring records are maintained, and nutrition awareness sessions are attended.
 

The sessions help promote better child feeding practices, regular immunizations, and antenatal and postnatal care of women. Households are given additional support for every 0-6 year-old child (LE 60), primary stage student (LE 80), preparatory stage student (LE 100) and secondary stage students (LE 140).
 

The program covers a maximum of 3 children per household and certifies beneficiaries every three years.