“Bab Amal” for Ultra Poor Graduation

Project Description:

Bab Amal Program is one of SFSD priority programs since 2018. It is a partnership between SFSD, as donor organization, BRAC, as technical assistance partner, J-PAL for assessing the impact of the program, and two implementing NGOs in Upper Egypt: Giving without Limit NGO in Assiut governorate, and Egyptian Association for Human Development, in Sohag. Bab Amal is a pilot program adopting the internationally recognized Graduation approach and targets 2,400 extreme poor households in Assiut and Sohag governorates. It is a comprehensive, time-bound, and sequenced set of interventions that aim to graduate people from ultra-poverty into sustainable livelihoods and stands on 4 pillars of intervention crosscut with coaching: livelihoods, social safety nets, financial inclusion, and social integration. The logic behind blending these elements is 1- to address immediate needs of participants using cash stipends, 2- asset transfers, as well as technical skills training to guarantee sustainable income. 3- long-term investments in life skills to ensure positive behavior change, 4- savings, and financial planning to raise participants ability for resilience. Close supervision of the participants by bi-weekly home visit and coaching allow households in ultra-poverty to uplift themselves by developing sustainable livelihoods and socioeconomic resilience. Bab Amal program is aligned with the SDGs, and works towards achieving SDGs 1,2,5,8 and 10: No Poverty, Zero Hunger, Gender Equality, Decent Work and Economic Growth and Reduced Inequalities.