Dr. Maya Morsi, the Minister of Social Solidarity, expressed her honour in standing today, , on the platform to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the inception of the largest social protection programme, Takaful and Karama, which has become a reality and a living pulse in the hearts of millions of Egyptian men and women, in belief of every citizen's right to a dignified life.

This was during the celebration organized by the Ministry of Social Solidarity under the title "Social Protection: Lessons from the Past Shape the Steps of the Future", under the patronage and honour of the Prime Minister, Dr. Mostafa Madbouly, former Prime Minister Eng. Ibrahim Mahlab, Dr. Khaled Abdel Ghaffar, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Health and Population, along with a number of current and former ministers, Ms. Elena Panova, the UN Resident Coordinator in Egypt, Mr. Gareth Bayley, the British Ambassador in Cairo, Mr. Stefan Jimburt, the Regional Director for Egypt and Yemen at the World Bank, members of the House of Representatives and the Senate, representatives from the World Bank, the National Alliance for Civil Development Work, NGOs, and foreign entities in Egypt, as well as a group of public figures.

The Minister of Social Solidarity affirmed that on this day ten years ago, the idea received support that was translated into a tangible reality by the political will of His Excellency President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, and he deserves all respect and appreciation.

It also received effective leadership from successive governments, starting with former Prime Minister Ibrahim Mahlab, to whom we extend our utmost respect and appreciation, and we will not forget the late great former Prime Minister Eng. Sherif Ismail, up to the current Prime Minister Dr. Mostafa Madbouly, under whose leadership this programme has lived more than half of its existence, as he spared no effort in supporting the programme.

Over the years, we have witnessed how successive Ministers of Social Solidarity have taken on this responsibility, starting with Minister Ghada Wali, the originator of this idea who bore the burden of building the programme and the moments of its inception even before assuming her ministerial role, to Ms. Neveen El-Kabbaj, who made exceptional efforts in expanding and growing the programme, ensuring that "Takaful and Karama" remains under their leadership a hallmark of care for the most needy families across the republic.

The Minister of Social Solidarity extended heartfelt greetings to the spiritual father of this programme, Dr. Ali Moselhi, who oversaw the implementation of the pilot model of the programme for the first 400 families in the Ain El-Sira area, in addition to the dedicated team at the Ministry of Social Solidarity who laid the groundwork for this ambitious national project from the first family to receive a Takaful and Karama card, leading up to the gradual expansion for the first million families and the full expansion across the governorates of the republic, and the first transformation of Takaful and Karama cards into Meeza cards to achieve financial inclusion, not forgetting the genuine partnership with local, international, and UN institutions that believed in the programme's messages and goals, for which we express our deepest gratitude and appreciation.

Dr. Maya Morsi explained that we have all witnessed an acceleration in the pace of the programme's expansion and the specification of its criteria to encompass the rapid developments over the decade, including increased spending, the rise in the number of beneficiaries, the increase in cash support, geographical expansion in reaching beneficiaries, improving and refining targeting standards and mechanisms, developing dynamic and modern records and digital platforms, enhancing electronic payment systems and financial inclusion, integrating state social protection services for the same families, and improving the complaints system to include modern technology to respond to citizens' requests.

“Takaful and Karama” began in 2015 with 1.7 million beneficiary families, and over the past 10 years, the numbers reflect clear biases, as the programme served a total of 7.7 million families, with 3 million families exiting the programme over its lifespan due to improved circumstances or leaving the poverty circle, bringing the current number of families benefiting from the programme today to 4.7 million families, all of whom did not benefit solely from conditional cash support but also from a package of protections, topped by food subsidy support for goods and bread, exemption from educational expenses, equal opportunity assistance for university education and higher degrees, comprehensive health insurance services, healthcare programmes, state-funded medical treatment, services from the integrated services card programme for persons with disabilities, literacy certificates, and priority in receiving services from presidential initiatives, led by "A Decent Life" for infrastructure development services, the "100 Million Health" initiative, women's health, Egypt's health, and a new beginning, among others, along with many awareness and capacity-building activities.

The programme's journey has not been without challenges and difficulties that require decisive responses, especially with the sudden emergence of the COVID pandemic and global economic challenges, during which the immediate inclusion of new families was implemented, and the cash withdrawal system was transformed into "Meeza" cards, proving that "Takaful and Karama" has the ability to respond to shocks and urgent crises, and that this programme has pillars capable of activation and expansion in times of dire need.

She added that we are celebrating the 10th anniversary in 2025 with the issuance of the Social Protection Law, which aims to institutionalize cash support for "Takaful and Karama", transforming it into a constitutional right for eligible citizens, and this year has brought further significant developments for the programme, most notably the directives of His Excellency the President of the Republic to increase the value of support by 25%, and to grant an exceptional bonus to beneficiaries on the occasion of the upcoming month of Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr in 2025, as well as an economic empowerment package and micro-projects. Takaful and Karama represents a successful model for strategic transformation in social protection policies and achieving tangible impacts on citizens' lives, such as protecting and safeguarding homes, preserving the dignity of the elderly and persons with disabilities, and caring for the health of children and mothers, which enhances the quality of life for deserving families, with a broader aim of alleviating poverty, enhancing living standards, improving health and nutrition indicators, educational attainment, human capital development, and empowering women. These are the goals we continue to strive to achieve, armed with the principles and objectives of the Egyptian government's programme, in line with Egypt's Vision 2030, and compatible with the UN goals to eradicate poverty.

The Minister of Social Solidarity noted that "Takaful and Karama" stands as a turning point in the journey of social protection in Egypt, amidst the burden of economic crises resulting from regional and political changes and their impact on citizens, which is not lost on our insight. Today, the Ministry of Social Solidarity continues to rely on adopting empowerment policies and enhancing productive opportunities, and we are working to strengthen and maximize cooperation and networking with all partners to expand economic empowerment projects and financial access as a priority for families benefiting from “Takaful and Karama”.

We are also working on introducing packages and empowering programmes that assist families in income-generating work, saving, and micro-lending, in addition to providing social insurance protection. Perhaps the name "Takaful and Karama" was a point of strength because it expresses the authenticity of the Egyptian people. We are a people who have known social solidarity since the dawn of history, and within the walls of every Egyptian home are stories of solidarity and compassion. As for dignity, it is inherent in the character of Egyptians, and what we strive for is for the honourable people of this noble homeland to live a dignified life. However, the real strengths lie in the hands and minds of Egyptians, who have contributed to transforming "Takaful and Karama" from merely a government programme into an integral part of its name, "the social contract in the new republic". Today, we renew our commitment to continue serving every citizen, every deserving individual, and every family that finds itself in need of "Takaful and Karama".

The Minister of Social Solidarity concluded her speech by stating: "Based on the steadfast belief of the Arab Republic of Egypt in the importance of social protection as a fundamental pillar for achieving sustainable development and human justice, I conclude my speech by announcing Egypt's adoption of the establishment of a high-level international platform for social protection, hosted annually by Egypt in cooperation with the World Bank, to serve as a unique global forum celebrating the remarkable achievements made by countries in enhancing social safety nets, and as a beacon of innovation through the exchange of successful experiences, lessons learned, and the latest strategies among decision-makers, experts, and international organizations."

The Minister of Social Solidarity presented, on behalf of the employees of the Ministry of Social Solidarity and the Takaful and Karama team, and all beneficiaries, a commemorative gift to the Prime Minister bearing the slogan "Takaful and Karama" as a token of appreciation for his support of social protection programmes and deep gratitude for his support of the Ministry of Social Solidarity and its beneficiaries.

The Cabinet