On the evening of April 15, 2025, Dr. Mostafa Madbouly, Egypt’s Prime Minister convened with Dr. Maya Morsy, Minister of Social Solidarity, to follow up on the ministry’s ongoing efforts from July 3, 2024, to April 15, 2025. Also in attendance were Margrite Saroufim, Deputy Minister of Social Solidarity, and Ms. Dina El-Sayirfi, Assistant Minister.
During the meeting, Minister Dr. Maya Morsy reviewed the Ministry’s key work areas, with a primary focus on social protection. She highlighted the extraordinary success of Egypt’s social protection program over the past 10 years, noting that its achievements far exceed the total expenditure on social protection programs since the 1950s.
The Minister also mentioned that Egypt is currently working on developing a comprehensive social protection framework that aligns with the new Social Security Law. She added that the ministry is preparing this framework, which will be presented to the Cabinet’s Social Justice Committee ahead of its official launch.
Dr. Morsy outlined that the National Strategic Framework for Social Protection aims to enhance social cooperation within Egypt and translate the country’s national commitments on social protection, as outlined in Vision 2030 and the 2024-2027 Government Action Plan, into actionable plans. This framework will also consider related national legislation and strategies.
She further explained that there are 22 social protection programs in total, 13 of which are implemented by the Ministry of Social Solidarity. These programs cover areas such as social assistance, social insurance, care services, and emergency relief, accounting for 60% of Egypt’s overall social protection efforts.
In addition, Dr. Morsy elaborated on the legislative frameworks regulating social protection in Egypt, citing the 2025 Social Security Law, the Alternative Care Law, amendments to the Family Insurance Fund Law, regulations for the elderly, and the “People of Determination” Fund.
The Minister then discussed the Takaful and Karama cash transfer program, highlighting that in May 2025, the Ministry will mark the 10th anniversary of the program and will celebrate this milestone with a new law that officially enshrines it as a legal entitlement. Over the past decade, 7.7 million families have benefited from the program, which represents 30% of all families nationwide. She noted that during the same period, 3 million families have graduated out of the program.
From July to December 2024, there were 550,000 new enrollments in the Takaful and Karama program, while 400,000 families graduated from the program. Looking ahead, the Ministry plans to enroll 190,000 new families between April and June 2025, while 180,000 families are expected to graduate. Currently, 4.7 million families are benefiting from the program.
Dr. Morsy also mentioned that 5.5 million children of Takaful families are enrolled in education, with 81% of students meeting the attendance requirement of 80% of school days.
She further introduced the Ministry’s Social Solidarity Units in Universities project, aimed at enhancing the role of the Ministry in serving university students and promoting social awareness among them.
The Minister also talked about the Ministry’s renewed approach to the cash support program, emphasizing the implementation of governance mechanisms to verify eligibility and introducing a digital connection system with various ministries and government bodies to enhance efficiency and accuracy in delivering conditional cash support.
Dr. Morsy addressed the financial empowerment strategies designed to help Takaful and Karama beneficiaries escape the poverty cycle. These strategies include the financial empowerment system, which integrates rural development programs, the restructuring of Nasser Bank, and the digitization of its services to ease the integration of the informal economy.
In terms of financial empowerment, she emphasized the expansion of financial service channels, technological integration, and the launch of new financial products. She also highlighted the issuance of nearly 10 million cards for the Takaful and Karama programs, including integrated service cards and “Farmer Cards”.
Dr. Morsy also discussed the Ministry’s focus on social care, emphasizing the economic perspective in providing dignified services and creating job opportunities. This includes specialized services for early childhood care, elderly care, and the support of people with disabilities, with collaboration from the private sector to build the human resources needed for the social care economy.
In terms of early childhood care, Dr. Morsy outlined efforts to improve the standards of child care centers, including digitizing their operations and renewing licenses to ensure compliance with national standards. She also announced the establishment of Egypt’s first daycare center in the New Administrative Capital, a collaboration between the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Social Solidarity to serve female government employees.
The Minister also discussed initiatives related to elderly care, mentioning the development of quality standards for elderly care homes and the closure of 15 facilities that failed to meet those standards. Egypt currently has 176 elderly care homes serving approximately 4,737 elderly citizens, and 190 clubs for the elderly benefiting 56,000 individuals.
Dr. Morsy highlighted that the Takaful and Karama program also benefits nearly 524,600 elderly individuals, with an expansion of the Elderly Companion Program to ensure skilled, trained caregivers are available for home-based elderly care.
Regarding orphan care, the Minister noted the launch of a digital monitoring system for orphanages and inspections that have led to the closure of 23 orphanages for violating required standards. Additionally, she mentioned the expansion of alternative care models, including small family homes as pilot projects, and coordination with the National Council for Childhood and Motherhood to address cases of abuse within orphanages.
In an effort to improve orphan care, Dr. Morsy shared details of a program aimed at enhancing the quality of care provided in orphanages, focusing on training caregivers in psychological and educational skills and creating safe, supportive environments for children.
The Minister also spoke about the launch of a housing project for orphanage graduates in April 2023. So far, 1,023 housing units have been contracted, with 786 units delivered to orphanage graduates through the Social Housing Fund.
To further enhance the alternative care system, the Ministry has established two National Foster Care Centers as part of the development of the Alternative Care Law, which aims to ensure sustainable, family-like care for children deprived of parental care.
Dr. Morsy touched on the reform of correctional institutions, mentioning the efforts to enhance their infrastructure and offer cultural activities for inmates. The Ministry has also rehabilitated and developed the facilities in the El-Marg Juvenile Detention Centre to provide a safer and more humane environment conducive to the reintegration of former inmates.
In closing, Dr. Morsy discussed the Ministry’s efforts to increase social awareness through the “Moudah” Podcast and other initiatives aimed at supporting the public through innovative media strategies, including the launch of Egypt’s first government podcast, “Here is Solidarity”, and the use of AI to enhance outreach.
As part of Presidential Initiative ‘Bedaya’ , the Ministry has delivered services to over 17 million beneficiaries, including the support of 47 early childhood centers, partnerships with 8 civil society organizations, and initiatives for talent development. This initiative also focuses on social protection, the empowerment of individuals with disabilities, addiction treatment, and economic empowerment.
Dr. Morsy concluded by discussing the National Family Development Project, which includes economic empowerment through small and micro-loans, job training, and the expansion of family planning and reproductive health services, alongside a campaign to support positive, balanced parenting.
