Egypt aims to deliver vocational training to 6.4K irregular workers who used to dwell slums

CAIRO – 18 January 2024: The Ministry of Social Solidarity held Thursday an employment fair for irregular workers residing alternative-housing neighborhoods and who received vocational training at the programme "Tafra."

Within the first phase, training was delivered to 3,141 across eight governorates that are Beheira, Menoufeya, Kafr El Sheikh, Menya, Asyut, Fayoum, Sohag and Aswan. As for the second phase, the target is 3,000 residing six neighborhoods. The major ones of which are Khayala, Mahrousa 1 and Mahrousa 2. Until present, 1,000 young men and women have received the training within that phase.

The programme was launched in January 2023 with the aim of delivering vocational training to 6,400 irregular workers in alternative-housing neighborhoods.

In 2016, the first alternative-housing project was inaugurated in Moqatam neighborhood and called "Asmarat." Since then, over LE40 billion have been spent on similar projects in both the capital and other governorates.

Spokesperson of the Civil Development Fund Ehab Hanafy stated in October that slums composed one percent of constructions in Egypt. They amounted to 357 areas, whose residents were moved to 246,000 alternative-housing units.