The European Union (EU) and the National Council for Childhood and Motherhood (NCCM) on Sunday signed a grant agreement for the National Children Empowerment Initiative. Minister of International Cooperation Rania Al-Mashat witnessed the signing ceremony.
Ambassador Christian Berger, Head of the European Union Delegation to Egypt, and Nevine Othman, the Secretary-General of the National Council for Childhood and Motherhood, signed the agreement.
The EU-funded Initiative aims to improve child protection services, promote positive behaviour change, and provide a supportive environment for girls and boys to develop their skills and access services.
The Initiative will develop the capacities of stakeholders to provide child-friendly services and promote positive parenting techniques.
The EU/NCCM Initiative will support 300 children, 70 parents, and 70 teachers and social workers from four governorates. It will also develop a standardized training curriculum for all personnel involved in child protection services.
Al-Mashat highlighted the depth of EU-Egypt relations and their importance for enhancing Egypt’s development efforts, especially investment in human capital, which is a key priority for the government.
She said that the Ministry works with relevant partners to enhance human capital investment programmes, empower youth, girls, and women, and protect children in ways that benefit residents and development efforts in general.
Ambassador Berger said that the EU and NCCM have a long history of working together, with more than a decade of collaboration on issues such as safeguarding children from violence in schools, preserving the rights of children with disabilities and girls’ rights, especially access to education.
He said: “The EU’s support to the National Child Empowerment Initiative reflects a strong commitment to improving child-friendly services and promoting behaviour change through positive parenting techniques.”
Othman explained that the Agreement aims to strengthen and protect children’s rights by implementing the different components of the National Initiative for Empowering Children. She said that the EU’s support is a crucial addition that enables the initiative to have a greater impact and reach more children across Egypt.
She added that the partnership with the European Union will provide an opportunity to expand the initiative’s implementation and extend its impact to reach a larger number of beneficiaries.
