UNDP and MSMEDA strengthen partnership to enhance job opportunities in Egypt
Alessandro Fracassetti, the UNDP Egypt resident representative, commended the partnership with the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise Development Agency (MSMEDA) for its growing significance in job creation.
Fracassetti shared his thoughts during a meeting with MSMEDA CEO Bassel Rahmy in Aswan, following a visit to various projects carried out by the agency. This information was disclosed in a statement released by MSMEDA on Tuesday.
Fracassetti stated that the purpose of our presence in Aswan today is to enhance Egypt’s MSME sector and provide support to local communities.
“Our collaboration with our long-standing and valuable partner, (MSMEDA), is now taking on even more importance as we see the need for more job creation opportunities,” Fracassetti said.
He highlighted the joint projects implemented in cooperation with MSMEDA in Aswan, stressing that they highlight a “powerful commitment” to fostering resilience and sustainable growth within host communities.
These projects include the rehabilitation of the health clinic in Karkar Village to enhance healthcare services for both Sudanese families and host communities.
“By rehabilitating the health clinic in Karkar village and creating job opportunities, we are not only enhancing healthcare services for both local and Sudanese families but also strengthening the community’s capacity to thrive,” Fracassetti stated.
Additionally, he visited the Women’s Productive Cooperative Society for Handicrafts and Heritage in Aswan, which is one of the fruits of cooperation between the UNDP and MSMEDA.
This project aims to support and empower craftswomen, promote resilience, and improve livelihoods.
He also highlighted the awareness and advocacy campaigns, implemented through local NGOs, to educate and equip communities to improve their health outcomes and overall well-being.
He marked Earth Day with Rahmy by planting a tree, symbolizing their commitment to sustainability, environmental protection, and preserving the planet.
For his part, Rahmy expressed appreciation for the UNDP’s role in supporting MSMEDA to implement development projects that adopt globally best practices.
He stressed that their joint projects aim to improve infrastructure and community development, provide labour-intensive job opportunities for casual workers, and encourage MSMEs.
This would eventually contribute to achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Rahmy added.
He highlighted MSMEDA’s keenness to integrate the environmental dimension into the MSME sector, realizing environment sustainable development and promoting the transition to a green economy on the national and institutional levels.
“We are trying to come up with innovative ideas to encourage the expansion of eco-friendly projects that go in line with the recommendations of the UN climate change conferences,” Rahmy added.
Rahmy said that ongoing cooperation with donor and international agencies, especially the UNDP, reflects their confidence in Egypt’s national economy.
In December, Egypt and the UNDP signed two agreements to support host communities in Aswan at a total cost of EGP 2.5 million.
The agreements aim to finance the rehabilitation of Karkar’s health unit, as the village hosts an estimated 186 Sudanese families, according to the UNDP figures.
The UNDP supports Egypt’s efforts related to climate resilience, inclusive growth, social protection, and innovation.
It aims to help the country achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through human development, supporting micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises, and increasing solar-energy generation, Fracassetti told Al-Ahram weekly in February.
UNDP has been a strategic partner to MSMEDA since its establishment.
Fracassetti said UNDP’s collaboration with the agency contributed to creating nearly half a million fobs and facilitating 120,000 loans worth nearly EGP 4 billion to support entrepreneurs and create jobs.
