The Belgian and Dutch ambassadors to Egypt concluded a two-day visit to Upper Egyptian community schools on Wednesday, where the World Food Program (WPF) is running a European Union-funded students empowerment program.
“The Belgian Ambassador to Egypt, Gilles Heyvaert, and the Dutch Ambassador to Egypt, Gerard Steeghs, visited community schools funded by the EU through a four-year project, covering 2014-2017, that combats child labor and helps vulnerable children, especially girls, get an education,” said a joint statement by the WFP and the EU.
“We are proud to be part of helping children –particularly young girls – to pursue their education and maintain their rights, in addition to their family members who will benefit from the project interventions,” EU ambassador to Egypt, James Moran, stated.
Moran pointed out that the program is financed with a 60-million-euro grant and covers schools in 16 of Egypt’s most vulnerable provinces, adding it addresses a range of problems affecting the poorest Egyptian children, such as malnutrition, access to quality primary education and child labor.
“A total of 100,000 children, mostly girls, who were previously working or are at risk of entering the labor market and 400,000 of family members benefit from the EU funded project,” the statement explained.
