Project description
Unemployment in southern Egypt is high. The Coptic Church of Qussia wants to help young women in particular. They learn a trade and can earn a living as seamstresses. They used to be unemployed and dependent. Nowadays, they sell their self-made clothes on the market. Thus, not only their financial security grows, but also their self-confidence.
Why this project?
The Coptic Orthodox Church wants to teach women to provide for their basic needs. Many people in southern Egypt only work a few months a year as seasonal workers. No work means no income. By setting up a sewing workshop where women can work, the church wants to increase the self-reliance of families.
Impact
In the past, many men and women have been helped by DUET, the aid organisation of the Coptic Church, with a small loan. A way that is proving effective. Some use the loan to buy a piece of land or some livestock. Others invest in a welding machine so they can start a small workshop. Women who learn to sew with DUET's help are thus structurally helped to earn their own income.
What can we learn?
It is better to give someone who is hungry a fishing rod than a fish. But if the recipient does not know how to use the fishing rod, he is no further ahead. Giving and equipping must go hand in hand.
