The Institute OF Cultural Affairs

Middle East & North Africa (ICA-MENA / Egypt)

In the year 2000, ICA implements the following programs:

Contents:

• The Institutional Capacity Building for Local Community Development Associations in Egypt
• Enhancement of Women Status in Beni Suef
• Child-to-Child Health Education (C-t-C)
• The Advancement of Education in Three Primary Schools
• Environment
• NGO In-Country Internship Program
• Exchange Programs
• Training and Consultancies

1. The Institutional Capacity Building for Local Community Development Associations in Egypt

This program aims at facilitating competent institutional skills for members of the Community Development Associations in order to enhance the long-term sustainability of CDA program activities through providing training programs and guidance in project implementation in the following fields:

1. Education
2. Health
3. Agriculture
4. Animal Production.
5. Micro Credit
6. Environment.

2. Enhancement of Women Status in Beni Suef

This program aims at enhancing the status of young women, ranging from the age of 9 to 20, in Beni Suef Governorate and to strengthen the institutions that would sustain and provide forum for women's contribution to their communities. Project activities include:

1. Women Centers that host public meetings and workshops on various issues;
2. Community Learning Centers that provide access to information through libraries and various educational tools appropriate to the culture of the community;
3. Gender courses that aim at enhancing the self-image of women within their societies. A curriculum for boys is also being developed to balance girls' advancement.
4. Small Loans program for women that includes technical skills training for a variety of tools such as marketing techniques and handicrafts skills. A loan fund was established in each Women Center to provide women with loans to start their own projects.

3. Child-to-Child Health Education (C-t-C)

This program aims at enhancing health awareness and education in primary and preparatory schools, besides the one-classroom schools and targets drop-out girls. It has been implemented in 58 schools. Teachers have been trained on how to use the C-t-C curriculum with students through creative teaching methods such as drama, song, dance and crafts. To ensure sustainability, the programs' messages have been integrated in the school curricula. Yearly exhibitions and exchange trips are organized for all participating schools, along with an end-of-year festival to celebrate children's accomplishments.

4. The Advancement of Education in Three Primary Schools.

This program aims at raising the level of efficiency of the teachers, supporting programs that develop the student's ability and skills, renovating schools and strengthening the relationship between the schools and the community.

5. Environment

ICA advocates an environmentally friendly approach to development work through public meetings, awareness campaigns, and the support of environmentally sound practices. Topics cover issues such as air pollution, farming practices, clean water, healthy practices and environmentally friendly technologies.

ICA also promotes the use of alternative energy sources, through pilot projects and demonstration plots in areas such as Solar Energy, Bio-latrines, in addition to the Biogas, which encourages the production of high-quality organic fertilizers. Moreover, it contributes to the improvement of household sanitation through the construction of latrines financed by small loans and managed by the CDAs.

6. NGO In-Country Internship Program

The purpose of this program is to equip promising local NGOs with necessary tools and skills for community activation and involvement in the design, implementation, monitoring and assessment of community based projects through first-hand observation of successful NGO projects and management and technical practices. Following the positive evaluation of the previous two years, in 2000, the Institute implemented the project with more than 100 interns from over 40 local NGOs in the governorates of Upper Egypt.

7. Exchange Programs

Local and regional exchange programs on general and specialized issues are held for development practitioners with the aim of providing them with space for the exchange of experience, networking, introducing new approaches for interaction with local communities, and designing innovative solutions for development work. Each year, the program has a theme and the year 2000's theme was "Community Development and the Changing Global Context". There are also specific exchange programs such as credit. In 2000, a program for "Managing Small Loans through Local NGOs" conducted to 20 attendees.

8. Training and Consultancies:

ICA offers structured as well as tailor-made training programs and consultancies throughout the region, utilizing various professional methods and strategies. In 2000, a number of events were organized including a "Participatory Project Planning" for 25 development practitioners from 4 Arab countries; an "Organizational Development Workshop" for 24 participants from 15 organizations; and a "Fundraising Course" for 18 development practitioners from 6 Arab countries. This is in addition to the consultancy service provided to a number of organizations that have requested specially designed programs.