What is the project about?

The project aims to strengthen Egypt’s social protection response to COVID-19 by supporting the Ministry of Social Solidarity (MoSS) in protecting vulnerable and at-risk populations. It focuses on two main tiers: 

1. Preventing new infections through awareness and institutional preparedness, and
2. Mitigating socio-economic impacts on poor households, informal workers, elderly people, persons with disabilities, and other vulnerable groups.

Through four outputs, the project expands COVID-19 awareness and promotes key MOSS social protection values and programmes, enhancing institutional and digital capacities for timely service delivery, supporting vulnerable groups with income generating opportunities, and reinforcing emergency response mechanisms for high-risk communities. 

The project aligns with Egypt Vision 2030, the 2014 Constitution’s social justice commitments, and the UN/UNDP COVID-19 response frameworks.

Situational Background 

The COVID-19 pandemic created major health and socio-economic challenges in Egypt. Rising infection rates and mobility restrictions disproportionately affected poor households, informal workers, women, youth, the elderly, and persons with disabilities. Economic disruptions – especially in tourism, exports, and services – led to job losses and risked pushing millions deeper into poverty, at a time when the national poverty rate had already reached 32.5%.

As Egypt’s primary social safety net provider, MoSS needed urgent support to scale and adapt programmes such as Takaful and Karama, ensure service continuity, and deliver rapid emergency assistance. The situation revealed gaps in outreach, institutional systems, digital tools, and emergency response mechanisms. 

In response, the project was launched in 2021 to strenghthen MoSS institutional systems and capacity, expand awareness efforts, and ensure more effective support to vulnerable groups during and beyond the COVID-19 crisis.

How are we doing this? 

This  NIM-implemented project, led by the Ministry of Social Solidarity (MoSS) in partnership with UNDP, and funded by the European Union, operates through four main outputs and a two-tier approach that combines COVID-19 prevention with socio-economic support. Implementation focuses on awareness, institutional strengthening, economic empowerment, and emergency response.

Output 1: Enhanced awareness of Takaful and Karama beneficiaries through supporting MoSS in adapting and expanding advocacy and awareness tools

• Developing and delivering a national training programme for social workers across all 27 governorates, covering, social protection issues, COVID-19 awareness, behavior change communication, and community engagement. The aim is to enable social workers to effectively deliver accurate messages and provide tailored support to vulnerable households and Takaful and Karama programme beneficiaries.
• Producing mass media and social media campaigns to promote social protection values, human development issues and socio-economic empowerment, ensuring clear messaging reaches millions of vulnerable households. 

Output 2: Enhanced institutional capacity of MoSS and its responsive mechanisms for effective service delivery.

• Establishing a Media Dissemination Center to coordinate and manage communication across MoSS programmes.
• Providing technical assistance to operationalize the newly accredited MoSS organizational structure.
• Training MoSS officials and staff at central and local levels to strengthen service delivery, crisis response, and programme coordination.

Output 3: Improved socio-economic status of vulnerable groups amid Covid-19 

• Contracting NGOs to support vulnerable households in starting sustainable small businesses through revolving micro-loan schemes and tailored livelihood plans.
• Strengthening the Rural and Environmental Industries Support and Rural Revitalization Fund (REIS) to create local economic opportunities and drive inclusive, sustainable economic empowerment.

Output 4: Strengthened emergency response of MoSS interventions/services to support vulnerable groups and communities at risk, including elderly, homeless, PWDs, and refugees.

• Developing and operationalizing guidelines for preventing and managing communicable diseases in elderly homes and PWD rehabilitation centers.
• Providing medical supplies, PPEs, and rapid antigen tests to MoSS institutions and NGOs working with vulnerable groups (e.g., Egyptian Red Crescent).
• Supporting care institutions with hygiene procedures, staff protection measures, and improved infection-control practices.
   

How will Egypt benefit?

Stronger outreach and awareness systems: By training social workers – the frontline of MoSS social protection delivery – the project ensures accurate and consistent messaging reaches Takaful and Karama families nationwide. Nationwide media campaigns and social media campaigns further reinforce positive social norms, social values, human development values and socio-economic empowerment. 

• Enhanced operational systems within MoSS: Establishing the Media Dissemination Center and strengthening institutional capacities will improve MoSS communications, service delivery, and responsiveness across all governorates.
• Improved livelihoods for vulnerable households: NGO-supported income-generating projects boosts local economies and supports vulnerable households.
• Strengthening Egypt’s emergency response and protection systems for the most vulnerable populations—elderly persons, homeless individuals, persons with disabilities, and refugees:  vulnerable populations will benefit from improved protection guidelines, access to essential medical supplies, and safer institutional environments. Partnerships with NGOs ensure rapid, coordinated support during health emergencies. Overall, Egypt benefits from a more resilient, better prepared, and more inclusive social protection and emergency response system.

Impact: