The Economic Program of BLESS is dedicated to assisting targeted communities in acquiring financial security, supporting local income-generating projects, and improving the overall living standards of at-risk people.
The Program prioritizes the needs of women, single parents, and young people entering the job market—providing them with professional training workshops; micro-financing opportunities; and new venues to connect with potential employers in the surrounding areas.
The Primary Objective of the Program is to help increase the standards of living of all community members, create new job opportunities, and help cultivate economic stability within the community on a whole.
This objective is made possible through the following activities:
- Conducting individual Economic Needs Assessments in each community, identifying their specific needs
- Offering business and financial development seminars open to all community members
- Establishing vocational training workshops to increase the technical capacities of local workers—mechanical repair, plumbing, electronic and computer repair, hairdressing, food processing, etc…
- Providing micro-financing opportunities to local projects and small businesses
- Organizing job fairs to connect young people of targeted communities with potential employers
- Providing new marketing opportunities to local businesses and producers
Why are these services being offered?
As the Egyptian economy continues to fluctuate, the rate of national poverty continues to rise. According to a 2018 UNICEF report, an estimated 30% of Egyptians live in poverty. This number is expected to increase along with the basic cost of living, which increased by 50% in 2017. The deteriorating education system of Egypt also perpetuates many financial challenges, especially among young people and women, who are unequipped to contend in Egypt’s increasingly competitive job market.
