Basic Development Needs (BDN) Programme - Cairo, Egypt

Organisers began work by asking the Ezbet Kamal Ramzy community to elect community representatives (CR) - one male and one female - for each block. 90% of the volunteers were women; a few young men also volunteered. A community survey was initiated to assess the community needs as well as individual families' needs.

Weekly meetings were held with the CRs; monthly meetings were held with the village development committee (VDC). A technical support team (TST) was convened by the head of the district. This team included directors of health, social affairs, education, water & sanitation, electricity, elected representatives, a media person, and representatives of the HEEA and VDC. HEEA trained CRs in health and environmental issues.

Partnerships established through this programme have facilitated the following: literacy classes (for 85 adults in 5 classes); small loans and revolving funds; a community school (for 7 school drop-outs); the issuing of identity cards (for 850 people) and birth certificates (for 900 people).

Community Participation, Health, Environment, Education, Economic Development, Youth.

The project was first initiated in Alexandria in 1998. In Ezbet Kamal Ramzy, approximately 30 CRs are still active as of this writing.

The District Head of El-Marg suggested that HEEA direct its efforts to Esbet Kamal Ramzy (EKR), one of the most deprived areas in El-Marg. Furthermore, the community had in the past worked on community initiatives and had a community development association willing to cooperate.