Cairo, 23 April 2026 –Sawiris Foundation for Social Development and the Embassy of Switzerland in Egypt, represented by its Office of International Cooperation, have announced a Memorandum of Understanding to strengthen joint cooperation in supporting the economic empowerment of the most vulnerable groups in Upper Egypt, through empowering the underserved households and promoting youth employment.

The initiative comes under the title “Livelihoods for Women in Upper Egypt” based on the belief that women’s economic and social empowerment is a cornerstone of sustainable and inclusive development. Strengthening women’s capacities and providing them with decent livelihoods creates a multiplier effect that improves the living standards of entire families and communities.

The partnership aims to achieve ambitious targets, including sustainably improving the living conditions of 6,900 households. This includes empowering 2,800 female-headed households through the Sawiris Foundation’s “Bab Amal” program to diversify their income sources and transition out of poverty, as well as contributing to the “Benaa” program, which aims to train 4,100 young men and women through advanced vocational training programs to ensure their access to decent jobs in the healthcare and information technology sectors.

The “Bab Amal” program is a flagship initiative of the Sawiris Foundation, aiming to enable 80,000 households to move out of poverty by 2030 through an integrated approach that includes income diversification, financial inclusion, and social support. The “Benaa” program is also one of the foundation’s core economic empowerment initiatives, targeting the employment of 5,000 trainees by 2028 by equipping youth with the technical and behavioral skills required and linking them to real job opportunities in high-growth sectors such as healthcare and IT.

In line with the commitment of both parties to achieving these development goals, a total budget exceeding EGP 210 million has been allocated to the partnership. These resources will be directed toward providing the technical and financial support necessary to ensure effective and efficient implementation of activities, in collaboration with “Giving Without Limits Association” as the implementing partner. To ensure successful implementation, the programs will be subject to strict monitoring and evaluation procedures through a Steering Committee comprising representatives from the Sawiris Foundation and the Swiss Embassy. The committee will oversee regular progress reviews and field visits to ensure adherence to the highest quality standards.

For his part, Luca Etter, Head of the Office of International Cooperation at the Embassy, ​​stated: “This cooperation aligns with Switzerland’s International Cooperation Strategy for 2025-2028, which aims to support Egypt in creating an inclusive economic environment that provides better opportunities for all.”

Etter added that “this cooperation also aligns with the broader focus of Swiss cooperation in Egypt through supporting the most vulnerable groups and enhancing their access to livelihood opportunities and essential services, thereby contributing to more sustainable and inclusive social and economic integration.”

He also emphasized the importance of adopting an evidence-based approach in designing and implementing programs to ensure broad and tangible impact, as well as strengthening the localization agenda by empowering local partners and building their capacity to lead long-term development efforts. He emphasized that the partnership with a leading institution like “Sawiris Foundation for Social Development” contributes to providing innovative development models that support women’s rights and enhance the ability of young people to compete in the modern labor market.

In a related context, Laila Hosny, Executive Director of the Sawiris Foundation, expressed her pride in this collaboration, saying: “This partnership comes at a crucial time, as we celebrate 25 years of tireless development work in Egypt, reaffirming our ongoing commitment to investing in people as a key driver for achieving genuine and sustainable development. Through this collaboration, we are working to empower women economically and support youth employment through integrated, evidence-based interventions, in order to achieve a tangible and lasting impact on the lives of the most vulnerable families in Upper Egypt.”

Hosny added: “We also ensure that these interventions are linked to real opportunities for economic growth and labor market integration, thus guaranteeing the sustainability of the impact and its transformation into measurable long-term results. Effective international partnerships, such as our partnership with Switzerland, are a key driver for maximizing this impact, not only by expanding the scope of interventions but also by developing more efficient and context-responsive models, and by promoting the exchange of experiences and knowledge, which supports efforts to reduce socioeconomic disparities and contributes to building more resilient and thriving societies.”

The Swiss cooperation’s contribution highlights the importance of complementarity between international partners, local institutions, civil society organizations, and government entities, thereby enhancing the effectiveness of development interventions and ensuring sustainable impact at both individual and community levels.