Iman Salah Labib, a widow from Ezzbet El-Nakhl (Cairo), shoulders the responsibility of her children's education and the care of her ailing, elderly mother. She manages a cleaning supplies shop that requires inventory expansion. Seeking assistance for her endeavor, she reached out to BLESS for support to strengthen her business and improve her family's income.

The Economic Development Program of BLESS evaluated her situation and granted her a loan. With this support, Iman diversified her inventory, resulting in a 35% increase in income, effectively meeting her family's basic needs.

The Rural Development Program: seeks to ensure that rural men and women increase their income by at least 20% through agricultural productivity or protecting livestock.

The program offers:

-       Sessional agriculture courses: to provide farmers with various knowledge to help them solve the problems they currently or potentially face in agriculture.

-       Follow-up visits for agricultural fields: to provide technical support to farmers to educate and equip them with the latest recommendations and technical methods in agriculture to increase production.

-       Farmer field school: to guide farmers with a set of recommendations about taking the necessary measures to combat climate change and the methods of detecting and removing any disease or insect phenomena.

-       Care & Management of Livestock course (including livestock insurance and animal vaccination): This course aims to raise awareness about the correct methods of veterinary care for animals (including poultry) and the importance of vaccinating their animals against epidemic diseases. This course also emphasizes the importance of livestock insurance.

-       Practical application of sustainable food production methods: This activity aims to provide rural women with the necessary skills to improve their efficiency in modern food industries. 

-       Agricultural services: to provide farmers with agricultural machines and materials and create project models to aid in their agricultural and animal production, including fertilizers, seeds, fodder, medicines, and veterinary tools, and more. 

In 2024, The Rural Development program improved agricultural productivity and boosted the income of 1,075 farmers, including 192 rural women, by 23%. This was achieved through 162 sessional agriculture courses, 133 follow-up visits to agricultural fields, and the establishment of five farmer field schools. Additionally, the program encouraged approximately 1,764 farmers to protect their livestock, further enhancing their income. As part of these efforts, 13,854 livestock were vaccinated, and 395 livestock were insured. The program also adopted eco-friendly techniques by implementing 13 composting applications for 421 farmers, providing them with natural fertilization for their lands.

Success story: Iman Salah Labib