Sheltering Egypt's Street Children: Carrefour Foundation joins forces with AFD and Sawiris Foundation and renews its support to Samusocial International Egypt

With this Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), Samusocial International (SSI) and its local office, Samusocial International Egypt (SSIEG), formalized their collaboration with AFD, the Sawiris Foundation for Social Development (SFSD) and Carrefour Foundation, in order to develop protection responses for children and young people at risk of great vulnerability and in street situations in Cairo, taking into account the specific needs of girls, women and young mothers with children.

Jacques Carles, President of Samusocial International, underlined: “Samusocial International is implementing an ambitious project to contribute to the protection of children, young adults and young mothers in Cairo, in close partnership with AFD and the Sawiris Foundation. This project will make a difference for these children and youths in the most vulnerable situations, exposed to violence, prejudice and struggling to survive on the streets. We are very proud to announce that the Carrefour Foundation is renewing its support, making it possible to reinforce the nutrition component and the perspectives for young adults’ professional integration”.

Stéphanie Lanfranchi, Director of AFD National Partnerships and Mobilization Department emphasized: “In times of uncertainty in the development finance space, AFD is extremely pleased to reinforce its partnership with Carrefour Foundation. Its longstanding experience of projects tackling food insecurity and promoting nutritional education will be invaluable assets to the project.”

Carine Kraus, General Delegate of the Carrefour Foundation & Carrefour’s Executive Director of Engagement, said: “Along with AFD and the Sawiris foundation, The Carrefour Foundation reaffirms today its support for the project led by Samusocial International in Cairo for the five past years. We are fully convinced that it represents a concrete and effective action to fight against social exclusion of these children and young mothers. Carrefour’s contribution to this initiative is in line with our mission to combat food insecurity, as well as our commitments to inclusion, and it will enable us to provide them with mentoring and training programs, helping support their future emancipation.”   

Laila Hosny, Executive Director of the Sawiris Foundation for Social Development, said: "Rewriting the stories of children in street situations has been an integral part of our work for over 15 years, offering a beacon of hope through their holistic integration. We believe in nurturing their potential by providing access to education, healthcare, nutrition, psychosocial support, and safe shelter, empowering them to reclaim their childhoods and build brighter futures as valued members of our society. We're truly excited to work with our close partners towards this vital mission, which we hope will transform vulnerable lives and create a more compassionate and inclusive society for every child.” It is worth noting that the Memorandum of Understanding marks a significant step in transforming the lives of Egypt's street children, showcasing the power of partnership in addressing global challenges. The parties have committed to implement an impactful program for social inclusion, creating a holistic support system for Mothers and Children in street situations, promoting volunteer engagement, and mobilizing financial and technical support to sustain the project.

Press contacts:

For AFD: Zied Ounissi ounissiz@afd.fr / Kabil Zerouali zeroualik@afd.fr

For the Sawiris Foundation: Mohamed Lotfy / mlotfy@sawirisfoundation.org

For Samusocial International: Marie Hildwein m.hildwein@samu-social-international.com

For Carrefour Foundation:  presse_groupe@carrefour.com / 01.58.47.88.80