Egypt

 

Since 1997, ADF/Egypt has helped strengthen civil society through training Egyptians to work more effectively in helping local NGOs work more effectively with government to improve local communities. A major component of ADF’s work is in the field of training, technical assistance, and the preparation of training materials for NGO leadership. ADF/Egypt was registered in April 2007 by the Egyptian Ministry of Solidarity. ADF’s previous major project in Egypt was the NGO Service Center, a seven-year, US$33.7 million development activity of USAID to strengthen the capacities of Civil Society Organizations to more effectively contribute to Egypt’s social and political development. The NGO Service Center (the Center) was a leading activity in the Democracy and Governance portfolio of USAID/Egypt under Strategic Objective #21: “Egyptian Initiatives in Governance and Participation Strengthened.”

 

From December 2004, ADF/Egypt regionally supports ADF’s Iraq civil society programs, including the USAID Iraq Civil Society and Media Support Program (ICSP), implemented by ADF to promote an informed, sustainable, and active indigenous Iraqi civil society to  participate within a democratic system of governance. ADF/Egypt has provided to ICSP: staff support; training materials on human rights, anti-corruption; and technical assistance in the area of capacity building.

 

ADF’s Small Business Association Advocacy Initiative (SBAAI) is funded under USAID/Egypt’s Democracy and Governance Annual Program Statement. Small and medium enterprises (SME) employ nearly 66% of the labor force and are a significant economic force in Egypt. The two-year SBAAI project supports the mobilization of Small Businesses Associations (SBA) to engage in increased advocacy efforts with the ultimate purpose of increasing the engagement of small businesses in Egypt’s reform efforts.

 

ADF’s Public Transparency and Accountability (PTA) Project is funded under USAID/Egypt’s Democracy and Governance Annual Program Statement. PTA serves to  assist Egyptian civil society organizations (CSOs), citizens and the government in gaining a better understanding of public transparency and accountability concepts and practices, raising public awareness of related issues, developing capacities of CSOs to combat corruption and enabling CSOs to work effectively with government institutions to improve accountability. ADF assistance to CSOs includes the provision of training, technical assistance and grants. Activities under the proposed project respond to USAID’s strategic objective “Improved Public Accountability” and support IR 21.2: Enhanced Collaboration between a Responsive Government and an informed Citizenry.