"The group lending for female heads of household" exceeds its target and reaches more than one thousand female heads of house hold in the beginning of its third and last year of implementation, and makes these women able to generate, produce, and benefit their communities.

For the third consecutive year, and in collaboration with the "Japanese embassy", the "Association for Development and Enhancement of Women" continues in implementing the scheme of "Group lending for female heads of house hold", which began in August 2016 and ended in August 2019, in Al-Gaiyara area in Misr El Qadima, going beyond its target, where the mission of the scheme was targeting 458 Fhhs Although that, it has been stretched until February 2019 to scope 1258 beneficiaries, in order to empower them economically, and improve their families lives' levels economically, healthily, and educationally.

Providing jobs

The primary objective of this project is to support the female heads of house hold within the slums area to start or develop economic projects, by offering group loans for them, and change their disabled powers to productive ones that improve their standard of living.

The increase in the beneficiaries' number

For the third successive year the number of the beneficiaries continues to grow, where we reached to a number of 115 beneficiaries within only the period from December 2018 to February 2019, in total of EGP 345,000, in providing them with the group loans. Upon that, the number of the recipients since the beginning of the project in August 2016, until February 2019, reaches 1258 beneficiaries,in total of 3 million, eighty-one thousand and five hundred EGP (EGP3, 081,500)

Continuity and Success

For the success of the scheme and its continuity, the beneficiaries have been chosen upon a set of standards. Most important standard is that the beneficiary must be carrying a valid national ID, and her age falls between 21 years and 62 years old. She has to be known with the handiness of good behavior and good reputation. Making sure that the beneficiary lives in the specified area "Al-Gaiyara" and established her project there as well, with requiring that this project has to be already active and this beneficiary is the Fhhs, or contributing in doing that. Periodically, training sessions are being held for the beneficiaries to train them on "The way of presenting their projects", "How to save their projects", and "How to calculate their revenues and expenses". Additionally, heeding that beneficiaries are sharing together their experiences within the similar projects. Also on regular bases, the beneficiaries are being followed by the project coordinators, to provide them with technical support time by time,in order to could properly manage their projects. Correspondingly, following up with the inflation and the purchasing value of the Egyptian pound and the effect of that on the beneficiaries' projects and their revenues, in order to keep the beneficiaries up with the market, and avoid any losses that might happen to their projects.

Diversity in projects

The projects that have been done by the beneficiaries was wide-ranging, among various types like (commercial—industrial—craft—manual—food) as projects of ((Augury- beauty and Makeup Tools—sewing—grocery—electrical devices—hairdresser—manufacturing houseware—leather goods).

Mrs. Rasmeia: The loan helped me to start the project of selling fruits and vegetables and to educate my children well

My name is Rasmeia Antar Zakareia, I am 31 years old, and I am holding a Diploma of commerce. I have got married about 7 years ago, and my husband is working in a workshop for women's bags. I have 3 children, a son in his first grade, and another is 3 years old, and a daughter with one year old. We are living in Establ Antar in Masr El-qadeema's neighborhood, we were living in a good case and our life was easy but with the time mean, our expenses increased and the house supplies grew up, so we got in trouble that I and my husband could not provide our children with their expenditures.In that time, I believed that I have to work and help my husband and my children in their expenditures, but I did not know what to work because my children were still young in that time. Until one of my neighbors gave me a suggestion and told me: what about starting a small project, even if you will sell fruits and vegetables in front of your home. Then she mentioned the Association for the Development and Enhancement of Women, Al-Gaiyara branch, and it is a charity that helps women and offers them loans to could establish their jobs. I immediately went to the charity and got aware of its conditions, then I collected a group of 5 women and we went to get the loan. I have received the first loan in my life, with an amount of 2 thousand Egyptian pounds. It was a good sign for me, as I abled to launch my project and sell fruits and vegetables to my neighbors in my area. I have achieved slight revenue that helped me to cover my house expenses and to pay the loan. This encouraged me to go for the second loan that was worth EGP3,000, which I received in February 2019 that offered me to get more goods for my project, pay for my son's private lessons, and get some essential requirements for my house, such as a TV and a children's bed. And, thanks for god, the life become much easy for me. I would like to say for any woman who is in a tide situation, to try to start a small project that benefits you and your children, and the loans that are offered by the Association for the Development and Enhancement for Women, help us to make our lives better.