Bab Amal: A Door of Hope Opens for 100,000 Households in Upper Egypt
Cairo, Egypt, January 16, 2025
The Ministry of Social Solidarity (MOSS), Sawiris Foundation for Social Development (SFSD), and Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab Middle East and North Africa (J-PAL MENA) at the American University in Cairo have announced the end-line results of the Bab Amal pilot—a transformative poverty alleviation program set to scale and reach 100,000 households by 2028.
Launched in 2018, Bab Amal (translated as “A Door of Hope”) is an ambitious program targeting ultra-poor households in Assiut and Sohag, two of Egypt’s most underserved governorates. Spearheaded by SFSD and implemented locally through the Giving Without Limit Association (GWLA) and the Human Development Egyptian Association (HDEA), the program leverages the technical expertise of BRAC, the world’s largest non-governmental organization headquartered in Bangladesh.
Bab Amal represents the Egyptian adaptation of BRAC’s globally acclaimed Graduation Approach, which has been implemented in more than 50 countries, reaching approximately 14 million people. This approach has been rigorously evaluated in diverse contexts, with impact evaluations consistently highlighting substantial and sustained improvements in social, economic, and psychological outcomes for participating households.
To assess and adapt the program, SFSD collaborated with researchers at J-PAL MENA and conducted a randomized evaluation involving 3,465 ultra-poor households. The evaluation underscores the program’s potential, demonstrating significant improvements in household assets, income, consumption, and other critical outcomes.
On January 16, 2025, a seminar at Conrad Cairo Hotel unveils the program impact evaluation results. Findings highlight substantial positive impacts on household consumption, food security, livestock ownership and value, and female employment, with more modest gains in female empowerment. The seminar will also outline the vision for scaling Bab Amal across Upper Egypt, targeting the poorest households in Assiut, Sohag, Qena, and Fayoum governorates.
The event offers a platform for policymakers, donors, development practitioners, and local NGO partners from Assiut and Sohag to exchange insights and lessons learned. By presenting the end-line results of this randomized evaluation, the seminar aims to support the scale-up phase, strengthen collaborative networks, and explore innovative strategies to combat addressing multidimensional poverty across Egypt.
Results from the randomized evaluation demonstrate significant improvements in household income, food security, and women’s empowerment, reinforcing Bab Amal’s evidence-based approach.
Bab Amal exemplifies innovation and collaboration. Its cost-effective half-cost model, alignment with government programs such as Takaful and Karama, and partnerships with NGOs and international organizations position it as a scalable, sustainable poverty alleviation model. The program directly supports Egypt’s Vision 2030 and Sustainable Development Goal 1 (No Poverty).
Looking Ahead:
Bab Amal’s ambitious scale-up strategy will mobilize resources, build capacity, and leverage partnerships to extend its impact nationwide. By 2030, it aims to serve as a national model for poverty alleviation, improving livelihoods, empowering women, and fostering resilience in Egypt’s most underserved communities.
Resources:
Evaluation of a Graduation Bundle for Households Experiencing Ulta-Poverty in Egypt:
The Graduation Approach Infographic in Egypt:
Blogs:
- How the Bab Amal “Door of Hope” program will reduce multidimensional poverty in Egypt? – Sawiris Foundation
- April 2022: Towards scaling-up the evidence-based Bab Amal social protection program in Egypt – Sawiris Foundation
- Why is social empowerment crucial for poverty alleviation? – Sawiris Foundation
Project Documentaries:
- Door of Hope (Bab Amal): Adapting the Graduation Approach in Upper Egypt
- Bab Amal Pilot Phase
- A Seminar on Sawiris Foundation Strategy 2023 – 2028 for Tackling Multi-Dimensional Poverty
Additional Resources:
