The Ministry of Planning and Economic Development's Rowad 2030 project has produced over 7,000 protective face shields for healthcare workers as they combat the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the ministry has said. The face shields were manufactured at a mini factory run by Rowad 2030, which falls under the ministry's umbrella, created in cooperation with the Nile Pioneers Initiative. Ghada Khalil, Director of the Rowad 2030 project, noted that about 5,000 of the face shields were distributed to Zayed Specialist Hospital, Zayed General Hospital and October General Hospital. The remaining shields were distributed to a range of isolation hospitals, including in Qena and Luxor governorates, as well as to Ismailia's Health Directorate. Minister of Planning and Economic Development Hala El-Said stressed the importance of joining hard working partners in development efforts. This is particularly important given the current health crisis, as it will achieve comprehensive and sustainable development. She noted that the mini-factory project aims to provide support and embrace small and emerging projects as essential inputs to major industries. The Rowad 2030 project was set up to enable young people to establish private enterprises. It looks to support the role of entrepreneurship in developing the national economy and diversify income sources. It also contributes to providing a range of services, such as educational grants, to study the field of entrepreneurship on a larger scale. The project looks to support business incubators for start-ups offering labour market innovations, in addition to the expanded awareness campaigns carried out by the project across Egypt.
