Ghoussous

 

FACE is embarking on its largest-scale project to date, the development of a support centre for children and mothers in Ghoussous, an impoverished shanty town in the north of Cairo. The estimated one million people who live in this settlement face widespread unemployment or low, intermittent incomes (small-scale crafts, street vending, construction work, waste scavenging, etc) and suffer precarious living conditions, inadequate hygiene and limited school enrolment.

 


Ghoussous, Kalioubeya.

 


Les habitants de Ghoussous souffrent de conditions de vie précaires, d'une hygiène de vie inadéquate et d'un nombre limité d'inscriptions à l'école.

 


On estime que un million de personnes, qui vivent dans ce quartier,  font face à un chômage massif ou à de faibles revenus intermittents (petits métiers artisanaux, vente dans la rue, travaux de construction, balayage,...).

 
Core principles

  • This project is a partnership with the Ghoussous community.
  • We believe in local capacity and ownership of the project.
  • We have the utmost respect for local social, cultural and religious customs. 




The "Child Support Center" consist of

  • a clinic for children
  • a crisis unit for mothers and children in need (housing and emergency care with a view to preventing abandonment)


  • a system of day care and nursery school classes
  • a unit to teach mothers about health, hygiene and family planning
  • a training centre to encourage income generation.


The local authorities have donated FACE a 1000m2 plot of land for the project. The site is well located, as it will serve both Ghoussous and two other extremely poor surrounding neighbourhoods.

 

   
Terrain donné par le gouverneur de Kalioubeya, Mr Adly Hussein, et les autorités locales


Two Egyptian businessmen, Eng. Mahmoud El Gammal and Mansour El Gammal, have offered to finance and build the project, and 'Hoet and Minne Bureau d'Architectes' volunteer their expertise for drawing up the plans. FACE will provide the blueprints, finance the furbishing and medical equipment, and set up the education and health projects. The building will be ready for use by 2010.


Les plans du nouveau centre sont établis et étudiés avec la population

 

 

Needs Assessment September 2008

In order for the FACE Centre to best respond to local requirements, needs assessments exercises were conducted in June 2007 and in September 2008. A team of Belgian medical doctors, nurses and volunteers, as well as FACE's Egyptian paediatrician and staff, participated in a three-day program of medical consultations for children to assess paediatric health needs in the community. In addition, maternal and prenatal needs, as well as overall demands for services from the future centre were explored in the course of interviews. The needs assessment was supported by the Governor of Qualioubeya, Mr. Adly Hussein, and the office of the Mayor of Ghoussous. The participation of the Belgian health team was sponsored by the Belgian company Nutricia.


Pendant cette enquête, une équipe de médecins et pédiatres belges de FACE a  réalisé des consultations gratuites à environ trois cents enfants en donnant des conseils médicaux et des soins.