During a meeting at the ministry's headquarters in the New Administrative Capital, Maya Morsy, Minister of Social Solidarity, engaged with Oka Hiroshi, the Japanese Ambassador to Cairo, and a delegation from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). Ayman AbdelMogoud, Assistant Minister of Social Solidarity for Civil Society Work, and other senior officials also participated in the discussion. The Minister emphasized the deep, strategic, and historical ties between Egypt and Japan, highlighting their collaboration in achieving shared developmental goals. The meeting included a review of joint work initiatives supported by the Japanese government. Notably, the Kusanone Grant Program, provided by the Japanese Embassy, has successfully funded 179 NGO projects with a total value of nearly $10 million across various developmental fields, addressing diverse social needs in local communities. Additionally, the "Improving the Quality of Early Childhood Services" project, part of the Egypt-Japan Education Partnership initiative launched by President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi in 2016, was discussed. This project aims to enhance capacities in 500 nurseries across nine governorates, improve monitoring and evaluation systems, and raise community awareness on early childhood issues such as learning through play, positive parenting, proper nutrition, and inclusion of children with disabilities. The project's achievements were also highlighted. Both sides expressed readiness for a new phase of technical cooperation and the development of existing collaborations. They also expressed interest in exploring new areas of cooperation, particularly in the fields of prosthetics and elderly care, drawing inspiration from the Japanese model.
