“Economic Empowerment female of ex- Prisoners through mobile commerce vehicles” is a new project of Life Foundation

In fulfillment of Life Foundation system of rehabilitation and reintegration of prisoners into society and its aspiration to find the best ways of rehabilitation, Life Foundation For rehabilitation and community integration (LFDCI) starts implementing the project of Economic Empowerment female of ex- Prisoners through mobile commerce vehicles funded by European Union (UN).

The activities of project will last two years; the project generally aims to support community-based initiatives aiming at economic and social empowerment of women and aims in particular to:

Firstly: Build the administrative, vocational, and personal capacities of 100 female ex-prisoners.

Secondly: operate, equip, and own 20 mobile commerce vehicles which will be a sell products outlet.

Thirdly: Build the capacities of 5 community-based organizations to design and implement awareness raising and advocacy campaigns.

Fourth: increase the awareness of 3750 individuals in their communities, to facilitating reintegration of female ex-prisoners in their communities.

Fifth: Increase and strengthen the understanding and community linkage between 100 governmental officials and rehabilitation and integration organizations.

The action areas will be in:

• El-Heseneya (El-Zagazig) and El-Qatoya (Abu Hamed) in El-Sharqia governorate
• El-Qom Elahmar (Shebeen El- Qanatar) and Kafr Elarbaeen (Benha) in El-Qalyubia governorate
• Menya Sendoub (El-Mansoura) and El-ma’sara (Belkas) in El-Dakahlia governorate
• El-Ga’ef (Etay El-baroud) and Ezbet Tamoos (Damanhour) in El-Beheira governorate
• Zawyet Abdelkader (El -Amareya) and Zawyet ElKabaneya (El-Gomrok)in Alexandria governorate

And that will achieve by many of activities and events

Firstly: Vocational and Interpersonal Trainings

It will be after choosing the female ex-prisoners to receive this training. It will include literacy, accounting and marketing; and also will include technical skills training as driving the vehicle, packaging and distribution of precooked food, mobile repair, sewing and tailoring, jewelry making, hairdressing, etc. (all of which to be based upon the commercial needs and availability of raw materials/resources in the targeted communities)

Secondly: Design, develop, and equip 20 mobile commerce vehicles

The commercial needs/services will identify, each mobile vehicle will be purchased, designed, developed, and equipped with the necessary equipment and supplies for operation by the targeted female ex-prisoners. Upon completion of the vocational and interpersonal skills trainings.

Thirdly: Institutional Capacity Building

The institutional capacities of each of the 5 selected CBOs will be assess to identify their performance and capacities gaps in their existing Boards of Directors and Staff, with regard to the design and implementation of awareness raising and advocacy initiatives.

Fourthly: Awareness Raising and Advocacy initiatives targeting Public and governmental representatives

LFDCI along with the partnering CBOs will target 100 relevant public and governmental representatives (Prison Directorates, Post-Care Unit at Ministry of Interior, Ministries of Social Solidarity and Local Development, Management of Small & Medium Enterprises at the Ministry of Industry, National Council for Women, etc.) to increase their awareness and understanding of the comprehensive challenges faced by former female prisoners upon release, in rehabilitation and reintegration into the communities and families.

The partnering CBOs, as part of their capacity building will be trained on networking and developing linkages with relevant state and non-state actors. And as part of their activities under the sub grant, each CBO, with guidance and oversight by LFDCI, will create local networks, in their respective governorates, composed of other local CBOs, decision-makers, community leaders, public and governmental representatives, and media personnel, former female ex-prisoners and family members, etc.  Network members will be identified in their respective communities by the partnering.  Once network members are identified, each network will sign a cooperative protocol at project wide event, held by LFDCI, in which all relevant state and non-state actors will be in attendance, in order to publicly launch and declare the networks and their future cooperation and purpose.

EU delegation in Egypt which was officially opened in 1978 will fund the project, and implementation the economic and political agenda between EU and Egypt, in the context of the European Neighborhood Policy in implementation and monitor the priorities of partnership between EU and Egypt.

EU delegation in Egypt interact with government ministries, civil society and

non-governmental organizations and the delegation will manage projects under the development cooperation programs in Egypt. The delegation will manage a developmental cooperation portfolio in Egypt over 1.3 billion Euros