The Ministry of International Cooperation signed two grant agreements with the European Union (EU) on Tuesday totalling €120m. The grants will support small enterprises and increase the number of children benefiting from the school meals programme. Minister of International Cooperation Sahar Nasr said during the signing ceremony that the agreements aim to empower youth through providing them with job opportunities and developing their skills. "The grants will assist with easing the administrative procedures for micro and small enterprises," she added. According to Nasr, the government's economic programme aims to achieve three main elements: raise economic growth rates, create jobs, and implement training, qualification, and skills development programmes for youth. In addition, the programme also aims to develop sustainable infrastructure, provide decent housing, education, and healthcare at affordable prices, and expand the usage of renewable energy. She said that the grant channelled to support school meals comes as part of President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi's claim to expand the programme to include 500,000 more children. She added that the school feeding programme plays a big role in improving healthcare for students, ease the burden on families, eliminate hunger rates, and achieve food security. The programme includes offering light meals to students to save 25% of their daily nutritional needs. The grant also includes training 150,000 families on activities that could help them sustain an additional source of income, of which 10,000 families would work to implement projects.
