The project is implemented in partnership with the Misr El Kheir Foundation (MEK), a non-profit organization that has been operating in Egypt since 2007. Construction work began in September 2021 and is expected to be completed in September 2023.
In its first year, the project will directly reach 160 beneficiaries, including 120 students, 20 teachers, 10 caretakers and 10 community leaders who will oversee operations. The project will also benefit 440 students over the next three years. The families of the students and other members of the community are among the indirect beneficiaries of the TBHF initiative.
Matrouh Governorate in northwestern Egypt covers 16% of the country’s total area and, according to 2021 statistics, has a population of 507,338. With a high illiteracy rate of 33%, of which 65% are women, the governorate also suffers from the highest school dropout rate in the country at 7.6%.
Much of the governorate is unoccupied due to the presence of landmines laid during World War II. People reside in urbanized cities and small towns scattered in rural or desert areas where access to essential services such as education is insufficient.
Following a call from the inhabitants of the village of El-Zayat in the capital of Marsa Matrouh governorate to build a public school for their children, the Misr El Kheir Foundation transformed an old building constructed with bricks and a wooden ceiling into a school for 170 pupils. The building did not meet health and safety standards, which posed a serious threat to the lives of students. This justified the need for a new school to ensure that the children could study in a safe environment.
TBHF will build, furnish and equip the new school building with 11 classrooms, a library, a science lab, a technology lab and an activity room. The school, once operational, will also offer capacity building programs to improve professional skills and enhance teachers’ knowledge and abilities.
The school will also encourage interaction and organize planned activities to create a stimulating and dynamic social environment that will encourage students to keep showing up, reducing the risk of dropping out. Community monitoring of the school will “create more of a sense of ownership” among community members and ensure that project objectives are achieved.
Mariam Al Hammadi, Director of TBHF, said, “TBHF is committed to supporting long-term sustainable projects that have a direct impact and improve the quality of life of vulnerable communities around the world. Inclusive access to education is a fundamental pillar of any nation’s Sustainable Development Goals, and we aim to support communities in their efforts to develop human capital and boost their competitiveness. For the younger generations to have a chance to build a bright future, a good education is an absolute must.
