USAID in Cairo said US$187 million has been allocated in Egypt over the past six years--starting 2004--to support democracy and civil society, with the goal of encouraging more competition and transparency in the electoral process, strengthening the capacity of civil society organizations, and increasing awareness of the role such organizations play. In a report published Friday, USAID explained that the sum spent between 2004 and now has gone partly toward preparing a trained cadre of more than 13,000 local election monitors on the national level. According to the report, USAID is currently focusing on the agricultural field, with the goal of improving productivity and the competitiveness of small farms, in addition to improving the administration of water resources. USAID will focus in the coming phase on training youth in social and political participation and deepening their understanding of citizenship so they can positively influence society. The report estimated the total volume of American aid offered to Egypt through the US Agency for International Development from 1975 until the present, as being around US$6.28 billion. The report explained that the current goal of USAID is economic development in Egypt, enabling the country to compete globally and to benefit all Egyptians, in addition to running programs that help create job opportunities in the private sector, and preserving human and natural resources. Translated from the Arabic Edition.
