Participatory Needs Assessment in Informal Areas Giza...

Participatory Needs Assessment in

Informal Areas – Giza Governorate

Boulaq El Dakrour Area Report

August, 2015

EcoConServ Environmental Solutions

Cairo, Egypt

Author(s): EcoConServ Environmental Solutions

Commissioned by the Participatory Development Programme in Urban Areas (PDP). This

document was reviewed by the PDP.

Ideas expressed by the author(s) and compiled in this report do not necessarily represent the

official opinion of PDP or parties involved in it.

This publication had been produced with the assistance of the European Union. The contents

of this publication are the sole responsibility the Participatory Development Programme in

Urban Areas and can in no way be taken to reflect the views of the European Union.

Index

Index iii

Acronyms and Abbreviations 1

DeutGesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH

(German Development Cooperation) 1

Executive Summary 2

1. Background Information 4

2. PNA Objectives 5

Objective 5

3. Methodology 5

PNA Approach 5

PNA Data Collection Tools 6

Division of the study area 6

Sample Distribution 8

4. Findings 11

Geographic and Historic Description of the Area 11

Thematic findings 15

4.2.1 Socio-Economic Conditions in BD 15

4.2.2 Problems related to infrastructure networks 18

4.2.3 Problems related to Basic Services 20

4.2.4 Environment and Climate Change 23

General Ranking of Problem Priorities 25

Community Planning Workshops 26

Main Findings 26

Public Day 29

Main Findings 30

5. Conclusion and Recommendations 31

Proposed Interventions 31

Peripheral Main Streets 33

SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT 33

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES 34

HEALTH 36

PUBLIC SPACE (ACCESSIBILITY) 36

EDUCATION 37

Internal Residential Areas 37

Challenges to the PNA process 39

Recommendations 39

Summary of proposed Interventions 40

6. List of Tables 42

7. List of Figures 42

8. Annexes 43

1

Acronyms and Abbreviations

BMZ German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development

CAPMAS Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Planning

EU European Union

FGD Focus Group Discussions

GIZ DeutGesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH (German

Development Cooperation)

GOPP General Organization for Physical Planning

IDSC Information and Decision Support Centre

IRRC Integrated Resource Recovery Centre

KII Key Informant Interviews

MoP Ministry of Planning

MURIS Ministry of Urban Renewal and Informal Settlements

NGO Non-Governmental Organisation

PDP Participatory Development Programme in Urban Areas

SWM Solid Waste Management

SWMS Solid Waste Management System

ToR Terms of Reference

UUU Urban Upgrading Unit

BD Boulaq El Dakrour

MT Mattareya

2

Executive Summary

The Participatory Development Programme in Urban Areas (PDP) is an Egyptian-German

development measure implemented in cooperation between the Egyptian Ministry of Urban

Renewal and Informal Settlements (MURIS) and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale

Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH (German Development Cooperation). The focus of the

Programme lies in the development of informal areas in the Greater Cairo Region by

introducing and supporting the implementation of participatory methodologies for urban

upgrading together with public administration and civil society organisations to improve service

provision, and thus living conditions in an integrated manner.

Participatory Needs Assessments (PNA) in the two selected areas in Cairo (Mattareya) and

Giza (Boulaq Dakrour) Governorates, aim at identifying clear interventions in each area that

respond to priority needs of the residents using the PNA methodology and Participatory

planning. EcoConServ Environmental Solutions was selected to conduct a Participatory Needs

Assessment (PNA) study in order to achieve the following specific objectives:

- Identify key development issues or challenges within each area, which go beyond

needs or wish-lists of demands by residents; and

- Identify community-based assets and initiatives to capitalise on while proposing

strategies to face the development challenges.

- Contribute to the institutionalisation of the PNA within the Urban Upgrading Units

(UUUs) as a participatory research method for the upgrading of informal areas.

The PNA methodology was developed based on the methodology detailed in the PDP manual

on “Knowing Local Communities”. To ensure effective participation and support from the local

administration, a Task Force was formed including local administration staff at the newly

established district UUUs and volunteer youth from the community. The UUU and Taskforce

were trained in field data collection methodologies.

Field work in Boulaq El Dakrour (BD) was conducted using the following data collection tools:

i) Observation Checklists and maps (25 streets were observed) in order to identify and record

problems geographically; ii) Key Informant Interviews (KIIs) (51 KIIS were held); iii) Focus

Group Discussions (FGDs) (39 FGD sessions were held) in order to allow in depth discussion

of the problems, causes and impacts. For data collection purposes, the target area was divided

into 5 different zones. During the results dissemination phase, 4 community planning

workshops were held with civil society representatives and community leaders to discuss and

verify the preliminary results of the PNA. Finally a Public Day was held to present the final

results to the community.

Through ranking of priority needs of the local community in interviews and focus group

discussions, several key issues were identified that should constitute the basis for future

upgrading interventions in the area of BD. In terms of infrastructure, local residents agreed on

the inadequate sewage network being the most important problem of the area, as sewage

overflows limit mobility, cause damage to streets and houses and constitute health and hygiene

hazards. Local residents moreover complained about frequent water shortages and

deteriorated tap water quality, as the sewage and water networks are closely connected and

3

both need to be upgraded. Problems concerning electricity cuts and difficult access to natural

gas were also mentioned.

Regarding basic services, the number one priority of local residents was clearly the

improvement of waste collection services as well as waste dispoasal facilities. The lack of a

waste management system has a strong negative impact on the local environment, people’s

mobility and public health, as garbage burning and waste disposal in the street increase

pollution, attract pests and degrade public space. A second priority concerning services was

the bad conditions of roads and their encroachment by informal markets and congestion by

unorganised transport hubs. Unpaved roads hinder pedestrian and vehicle mobility and

additional use of the streets by street vendors and tuk tul drivers exacerbates the problem. The

bad street conditions are closely related to people’s strong concerns with safety in BD.

Frequent traffic accidents, roads that are not walkable, unlit streets, harassment etc. constitute

dangers that impede especially women to leave the area to seek education or employment.

Inadequate health facilities and a lack of good schools in the area were alo considered

important problems in the local community.

While women agreed on all of the above-mentioned issues as local development priorities, they

were particularly aware of education and employment difficulties for children and youth. Women

stressed the low quality of locally available education and the financial burden of private

tutoring. In addition, women underlined that there is an urgent need for entertainment and

leisure facilities for youth in the area and expressed the wish to have social or leisure spaces

that are accessible to them in the local area.

Youth participants in the area stressed challenges regarding stigmatization as male inhabitants

of an informal area and highlighted their difficulties to find suitable employment after graduation.

Girls are again affected disproportionately, as safety concerns prompt families to encourage

them to stay at home instead of seeking higher education or employment opportunities outside

of BD. Youth unemployment is considered to be closely linked to other social problems, such

as drug abuse, harassment and street violence, by members of the community.

The PNA process also identified assets, resources and advantages of BD, which can become

starting points for improving the local living conditions. Residents agreed that one of the major

advantages of the area are its strong social relations that function as safety networks for those

in need. Social cohesion in the community allowed for emergence of local initiatives, for

instance in the upgrading of deteriorated infrastructure. Other assets of BD that were

mentioned by respondents included the central location, availability of all household necessities

in the area and relatively cheap prices for rent and services.

4

1. Background Information

The Participatory Development Programme in Urban Areas (PDP) is an Egyptian-German

development measure implemented in cooperation between the Egyptian Ministry of Urban

Renewal and Informal Settlements (MURIS) and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale

Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH. The PDP was initiated in 2004 and is currently in its third phase

ending in December 2018. Co-financing partners are the European Union (EU) and the Bill and

Melinda Gates Foundation, in addition to, the core-financing of the German Federal Ministry

for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and the contributions by the Egyptian

government. It focuses on the upgrading of informal areas in Greater Cairo Region (GCR) by

introducing and supporting the implementation of participatory methodologies for urban

upgrading with public administration and civil society organizations to improve service

provision, and thus, living conditions in an integrated manner to alleviate urban poverty. The

on-going phase of the Programme has as an overall objective of: “Public administration and

civil society organisations collaborate in improving services and environmental conditions for

the poor urban population” with the following four components.

Component 1 focuses on the dissemination of participatory urban development procedures and

tools and their institutional anchorage.

Component 2 focuses on ways and means to increase the resilience of informal areas to

climate change.

Component 3 has the objective of establishing an integrated and community-based solid waste

management system in two selected areas (Khosoos and Khanka, Qalyubeya Governorate)

financed by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

Component 4 is tackling the improvement of the living conditions in 9 unplanned informal urban

areas (three informal areas each in Cairo, Giza and Qalyubeya Governorates) through funds

implemented according to EU’s grant procedures taking into account the active participation of

youth, women, civil society organizations and the private sector.

Additionally, a fund for Local Initiatives is managed by the PDP and financed by the Egyptian

Government.

Figure 1 Kick off meeting at Giza Governorate (pictured: Assistant Secretary General to the

Governor,Governorate level UUU head, BD district chief and GIZ representative)

5

2. PNA Objectives

Objective

The objective of this consultancy is: Participatory Needs Assessments (PNA) in the two

selected areas in Cairo and Giza Governorates are implemented successfully in close

cooperation with the local administration and local communities, leading to the

development of clear interventions in each area that respond to priority needs of the

residents. The process of the PNA also identifies community-based assets and initiatives to

capitalise on while proposing strategies to face the development challenges in each area.

Hence, the first aim of this consultancy is to identify key areas of intervention and develop

potential project profiles within each area, using the methodology of PNA and participatory

planning. The outputs of this consultancy will directly support the development of the Call for

Proposals (CfP) to be funded by the EU and managed by PDP.

The second aim of this consultancy is to contribute to the institutionalisation of the Participatory

Needs Assessment within the Urban Upgrading Units (UUUs) as a participatory research

method for the upgrading of informal areas.

3. Methodology

PNA Approach

Participatory Needs Assessment (PNA) is a tool to bring local stakeholders together and

facilitate a process of discussion of needs and challenges in their community and assess the

capacity and resources of the community. Apart from providing authentic information for local

planning, the process also empowers local communities to identify their priorities and needs,

develop action plans and mobilise their own resources.

Local residents – women, men, the old and the young – and other local stakeholders know their

communities best and know each other, their locality, its physical environment, attitudes

towards planned interventions, and common and diverging interests and priorities. They can

provide in-depth insights and innovative solutions to suit their local needs. The PNA

methodology was developed based on the methodology detailed in the PDP manual “Knowing

Local Communities”.

To ensure effective participation and support of the local administration, a PNA Task Force was

formed including local administration staff at the governorates’ UUU (Urban Upgrading Units)

level and District administrations. The UUU members were trained on participatory

development approaches and data collection tools. In each research area a local Fieldwork

team was formed and trained to conduct the PNA. At a later stage, UUU members provided

training for the local fieldwork team members on data collection techniques

6

PNA Data Collection Tools

Data collection was conducted through different phases; First: desktop collection of secondary

data, Second: collection of primary data and Third: consensus building and dissemination of

results.

Secondary data was collected from relevant

official state bodies, such as: CAPMAS, GOPP,

IDSC and BD district Information Centre.

The following primary data collection tools were

developed. i) An observation checklist was

used to provide a clearer understanding about

the physical environment of the area during the

transect walks. Maps were used to record

landmarks, visible problems and spatial

resources. Transect walks allowed the field

researchers to initiate contact with the

community members.

In addition to the data collected during the

transect walks, a structured Key Informant

Interview questionnaire (KII) was used to

collect opinions from street residents and

passers-by, regarding work area problems,

such as the status of infrastructure services

and quality of life.

Focus Group Discussions (FGD) were used

to collect further qualitative data on the

causes and impacts of key problems.

For the purpose of this study, the consultant

relied on tools yielding qualitative rather than quantitative results. As such, qualitative tools

serve to provide more in-depth and first-hand accounts of the community’s assessment of their

problems and assets respectively. Such tools therefore provide more detailed accounts vis-à-

vis the more statistically representative quantitative tools.

Division of the study area

The UUU in collaboration with the consultant have divided the study area into five main zones

and into smaller blocks, in order to facilitate the data collection process. Dividing the field work

area into zones was conducted in line with the district Shiakhas. The main street used to divide

the zones was Hamphrey’s Street. The five zones represent the following areas in BD district

(Boulaq el Qadima, Zenin, The Market Area and Nahya).

The GIS expert later fed the collected data into the GIS maps.

Figure 2 Training of Trainers for BD UUU

Figure 3 Dividing the working area

7

Nahia Street

Zumor Canal St

Zenein Canal St.

Hamphrey’s Street

6th October St.

Figure 4 Map of the Zones and Blocks for Boulaq el Dakrour District

8

Sample Distribution

Total number of Observed Streets: 25

Residential Streets: 13 Commercial Streets: 4 Mixed Streets: 8

Table 1 Sample of the Street Observation

Total number of Key Informant Interviews: 51

Males: 30 Females: 21

Under 25: 9 25-39:23 40-55: 15 Above 55: 4

Interviews in Zone 1: 6 Interviews in Zone 2: 13 Interviews in Zone 3: 11

Interviews in Zone 4: 11 Interviews in Zone 5: 10

Table 2 Sample Description of the Key Informant Interviews

Figure 5 KII with BD resident

9

No of FGDs: 39

Women (18-41) 11

Women (+41) 11

Men (18-41) 10

Men (+41) 7

No. of FGDs in Zone 11 8



No. of FGDs in Zone 4/5 7

Table 3 Sample Description of the Focus Group Discussions

1 FGD’s that were conducted at border streets of zone 1/2 were considered as zone 1 (mainly Hamphery’s street)

10

Figure 6 Locations of held KIIs and FGDs

11

4. Findings

Geographic and Historic Description of the Area

Boulaq El Dakrour (BD) District is situated in the

west of Dokki and Mohandessin areas, north of

El Malek Faisal Street and El Haram, and south

of Imbaba and Bashtil. BD is divided into many

Shiakhas: Abu Qatada, Boulaq El Dakrour,

Zenein, Kafr Tohormos, Monshaat Alian, Nazlet

Khalaf, and Nazlet Bahgat.

The PNA work areas are located only in Boulaq

El Dakrour and Zenein Shiakhas; the largest in terms of the number of poor families according

to the Income and Expenditure Research for 2013 as shown in the following table:

Shiakas

% of population

classified as

poor

Poverty Gap Gini Coefficient

Number of poor population

Boulaq El

Dakrour 27,41

5,53 0,23 45573

Zenein 29,93

6,15 0,21 38949

Table 4 Poverty Distribution at PNA Study Area

BD district is located in the western urban area of Greater Cairo within the boundaries of Giza

Governorate. It was originally an agricultural area which was later transformed into land used

for other economic activities. As land owners sold their

agricultural land plots, the area became rapidly built-up

and urbanized. Due to BD’s proximity to central urban

areas in Cairo and Giza, it became an attractive area to

low income migrants from Upper Egypt. The number of

inhabitants increased from 197000 in 1976 to 500000 in

2003 with a population growth rate higher than the growth

rate in most other urban areas in Giza. BD has strong

economic relations with adjacent districts, such as

Agouza, Dokki, central Giza, and Al Umrania. The relatively low price of houses in BD has

made it an attractive place to live for many migrants.

2 Source: Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics, Census of 2006

Immigration reasons2

No.

Work 17532

Study 1728

Marriage 30525

Companion 767

Other 21519

Table 5 Immigration reasons

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Advantages of Living in Boulaq El Dakrour

Advantages for living in BD as mentioned by the

residents included the strong social relations among

residents which represent a social safety network for

many, particularly senior and marginalized people in

the area. Respondents also stated that the services

and rent prices are relatively lower in BD than in

other areas, which makes BD attractive to several

groups especially workers and migrants from Upper

Egypt. It is also convenient to buy family needs at

affordable prices in the area, in addition to relatively

easy access and small distances to surrounding

central urban areas.

Historic Development of urban development challenges in BD

Respondents pointed out that the deterioration in the quality of infrastructure services started

in the last twenty years, coinciding with the steady increase in population. Since its

establishment, BD has been an unplanned squatter area as residents started building on their

own and took the initiative to connect themselves to infrastructure services. The situation led

to the current deterioration in the utilities networks, which lack the capacity to accommodate

the increasing number of residents.

3 Source: Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics, Census of 2006

4 Source: BD Information Centre

Area3 Workers Unemployed

Permanent Job

Temporary Job

Seasonal Job

Intermittent Job

Total Workers

Total Unemployed

Boulaq El Dakrour

27533 5419 4625 6233 43837 5995

Zenein 21269 5177 3041 5867 35354 5560

Table 6 Employment rates at PNA Target Areas

BD Services No.

Civil societies 183 Bridges 7 Parking 2 Microbuses stations 4 Potable water stations 2 Sewage stations 3 water stations 2 Power plants 2 Natural gas plants 2 Public parks 14 Youth centres 9 Pharmacies 272 Public health units 8 Private health units 22 Private physician 117 Ambulance 1 Parking 2

Table 7 BD services4

13

Serves Neighbouring aeras

Main Roads – traffic access points

Serves reseidents Closed Shops

Bridal Shops and female clothing shops

Male Clothing shops

Food MArket Bus Stops and Street Vendors

Figure 7 Map Classifying different Commercial Streets in BD

14

Figure 8 A map of problems and resources in the study area

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Thematic findings

4.2.1 Socio-Economic Conditions in BD

A. Socio-Economic Characteristics

People referred to the low standard of living and the high

prices of goods and services. Families rank their

expenditure priorities as follows: rent, private lessons, gas

cylinders, electricity and water bills, and food. The

respondents mentioned they can rarely spare any savings

for maintenance or participating in Gami'ya (Arabic term for

rotating savings).

Female respondents particularly underlined the financial burdens of private lessons and lack

of job opportunities for graduating youths.

B. Social Networks

Most BD families are originally migrant families who arrived in Cairo during the 1970s, while

new residents mostly reported selecting BD for its relatively low rents and cost of living. Most

families have known each other for a long time and provide support to each other when needed.

For younger generations, social relationships have become less tight but are still comparatively

closer than in other districts.

Respondents referred to their personal initiatives to solve problems in some streets such as

waste collection and changing sewage pipes. Residents expressed willingness to participate in

future development activities in cooperation with the local district administration in terms of

providing time, effort, social connections and small financial contributions. It became evident

that many inhabitants of BD have little trust in local government, as they have either heard of

or directly experienced corruption or attempts to make political gains from local development

programs. They therefore developed a habit of taking upgrading issues into their own hands.

Residents indicated that NGOs in BD focus mainly on providing aid to poor women and families,

in the form of food, monthly salaries, or some medical services. They were not able to identify

any organizations with a developmental agenda in BD.

C. Education

Respondents stated that the quality of education is more deteriorated in BD than outside of the

area. Thus many families decide to enrol their children in schools outside the area, in Dokki for

example. This situation increases the financial burden on families as a result of additional

transportation costs and produces a lack of safety during travelling to schools outside the areas.

Women in particularly mentioned the great financial burden and inability to enrol children in

“We thank God for having fried

potatoes in our home”

“Without the subsidy card, no one

can get a loaf of bread”

16

good schools. This comes in addition to the high costs of private tutoring. Teachers often force

students to join private lessons. The problem of private lessons was frequently mentioned by

all respondents even at early school grades, and in both

public and private schools.

Most mothers were acutely aware of the education

problems, giving it the priority over other challenges.

Respondents also commented on the deteriorated school infrastructure. For example Gamal

Abdel Nasser School in Hamphrey’s Street is suffering from sewer overflows, broken glass,

and overcrowded classrooms. They pointed out that the school on Street 10 is better.

Moreover, most schools work double shifts, hence students do not benefit from full school days.

Respondents pointed to the safety problems that are

faced by girls related to education. Girls are frequently

deprived of education due to the fear of going outside

the area, especially since families do not consider

education a priority for girls. Girls in addition pointed to

the spread of

harassment,

particularly around

Dar Al Muslim

Preparatory School. The school is relatively far away (at

the end of Hamphrey’s Street),and many girls end up

preferring to stay at home altogether. There is also a

lack of vocational schools inside BD. There is only one

commerce High School for Girls. Hence girls drop out of

school as a result of the financial burden of travelling

outside of the area. Concerning boys at preparatory

schools, the main problem is prevailing violent

behaviour which the school administration is often unable to control.

D. Unemployment and job opportunities

Residents expressed their frustration with limited job opportunities in the area and weak skills

of graduates. The lack of job opportunities leads in turn to low income and several domestic

problems such as high school dropout rates and increased divorce rates.

Unemployment leads some male youths to work in drug dealing or driving Tuc Tucs. More

opportunities are available to skilled workers who start working at an early age rather than

educated graduates. Respondents pointed out that the income has declined significantly since

2011.

Unemployment rates are higher among youths and females while older male groups are self-

employed skilful workers. Families mentioned that girls hardly find job opportunities inside the

area, and available opportunities are limited to working as saleswomen in shops outside the

area. Considering the safety situation and the low wages in this sector, families often prefer

female youths to stay at home.

“Norhan, my daughter, refuses to

enter toilets in the school”

"Boys harras us and touch us and

we are afraid of going to school”

Figure 9 A Kindergarten at BD area

17

In cases where men suffer from unemployment, women have to bear the financial burden of

providing for the family, usually by working in the few available job opportunities which often

yield poor incomes. .

E. Healthcare services

People indicated that the quality of healthcare services in BD is very poor and inadequate.

Examples of the poor quality service were the lack of basic medicines, which adds a financial

burden, particularly for female headed households. The hospital also suffers from a shortage

of physicians. Respondents pointed out that Boulaq Hospital is unable to handle serious cases

of illness; patients thus have to be sent to Kasr El Aini Hospital. The Boulaq Hospital was

seriously damaged in 2011 and since then it has not been able to provide adequate service for

serious cases.

Many private clinics affiliated with NGOs or religious

institutions provide healthcare services in the area.

However, these are often too expensive for low income

families. Although private healthcare centres, such as Al

Marwa, Al Hadari, Al Gam’ea Al Qibli, Al Fath, Al Salam provide basic healthcare services, they

do not have specialists for serious cases of illness or emergencies. Respondents stated that

physicians in these centres are mostly young general practitioners.

People referred to high rates of gastroenteritis and asthma due to sewage problems and dust

arising from unpaved streets and accumulating waste.

Residents complained about the lack of services provided for special needs or elderly groups

who have to seek the services outside BD. They suffer from a mobility problem as it is too

difficult for them to climb the Khashab Bridge leading outside of BD, while private cars cannot

move within the area.

F. Safety problems

Safety concerns were among the main points discussed during the PNA. Fights and street

violence occur regularly and lead to serious injuries and in some cases death. Women and

children are especially affected by this violence, as it limits their mobility at night and restricts

children from going to school unaccompanied and playing in the streets.

Some respondents mentioned the problem of drug

dealing and violence escalating since 2011. Drug

addiction and increased abuse among youth, especially

unemployed groups or Tuc Tuc drivers, were also

mentioned. Respondent thus expressed the need for

increased security presence and a police station in the area, in addition to ways to engage

youth in useful activities.

“The youths know the quick profits

that can be made fromdrugs and

thus they dislike education as long

as they have money”

“At 12:00 pm, the cheap tickets

costing EGP 1.25 are sold out and

poor people find nothing”

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G. Gender

In addition to general problems discussed and experienced by residents of BD, the Consultant

found that women are especially vulnerable in the following aspects.

Women’s mobility in the area is limited due to the safety problems and harassment.

Women reported leaving the house only to purchase household needs.

The lack of high schools in the area is especially problematic for girls due to their limited

mobility.

Sewage problems impact women disproportionally in terms of limited mobility and

additional burdens for completing housework and necessary errands.

Women are more severely impacted by low income, as it forces them to work in low

wage jobs, especially in female headed households

Only very limited job opportunities are available for younger females who expressed

their wish to work in order to provide additional income for the family.

4.2.2 Problems related to infrastructure networks

Respondents considered the quality of provided infrastructure services to be inferior to other

districts. The sense of marginalization was particularly high among younger male age groups

since they are more familiar with other urban areas, while women and girls were more satisfied

with the service level as they rarely travel outside the area and thus have little comparison.

I. Sewage

All respondents agreed that sewage is the most important problem facing people in BD, an

issue that has been exacerbated since the late 2000s and has worsened significantly in the

last three years. Respondents gave different explanations

regarding their perception of the causes of the sewage

problem. The first reason according to them was the

backfilling of Al Zumor Canal by the local district authority.

This had an extremely negative impact on the sewage

since it increased the groundwater table tremendously. The second reason was that the pump

station at Street 10 is either fully or partially non-operating because of the increased fuel prices

and lack of regular maintenance in addition to the already deteriorating conditions of the

sewage network pipes.

Residents felt dissatisfied with the backfilling of the canal

that had been pursued without consulting them beforehand.

The residents expressed the opinion that the backfilling

even negatively impacted the sewage problem. The

residents complained that the backfilled area was converted into vehicle parking and that they

did not benefit from the newly won land. In addition, no alternate closed pipes were installed in

order to replace the canal.

“They install bad pipes, they break once cars pass over

them”

“We have suffered from sewege overflows for the first time when

the canal was backfilled this Ramadan”

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Respondents pointed out that developmental interventions targeting sewage problems –at

Abdo Khattab Street for example – only provided temporary solutions or partially changed the

piping system without providing a root cause solution. Respondents complained about the slow

response of the district authority to their complaints. Any response requires further pressure

and effort as well as financial burdens. The solutions are limited to pumping water without

effective service upgrading, hence the problem recurs. Some individual initiatives, such as

upgrading or replacing sewage pipes, were undertaken by the residents themselves in some

streets; however, these initiatives are relatively costly and unaffordable for residents of BD in

addition to the illegality of such self-directed initiatives.

The problem is exacerbated for

ground floor residents as the street

levels rose after paving, leading to an

increase of sewer overflows not only

in streets but also inside houses.

These overflows result in reduced

mobility, spread of foul smells, insects

and mosquitos, difficult use of toilets

and kitchens which are closed off to

avoid additional overflows in addition

to accompanying diseases like

gastroenteritis and asthma. Women

and girls are reported to suffer more

from sewer overflows for their impact

on housework . Lower income

families suffer from the financial

burden of sewage water sweeping

amounting to 30-40 pounds every time. Some respondents also reported the risk of

electrocution when overflowing sewer water gets in contact with open electricity sources.

Another concern is the deterioration of buildings’ conditions due to sewage, amounting to

additional costs because of maintenance and restoration of collapsing walls and buildings. The

results indicated a negative perception concerning the responsibility of the Local District

authority for the deterioration of the sewage network and the canal backfilling.

II. Potable Water

Water problems are closely linked to sewage

problems. People noted that the Local

Administration cuts off water sometimes to

reduce sewer overflows. The water may be

cut off for long hours and sometimes for

several days. Furthermore, people pointed

out that

potable

water

sometimes

has a foul

“We fought to clean our area. We cleaned it by ourselves to

live in a clean area”

Figure 10 Sewage water overflowing inside a house

Figure 11 Water Pump on Zumor Canal Street

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taste and smell in addition to being over-chlorinated. It may be mixed with sewage water due

to the deterioration of old water and sewer networks.

Women suffer from water shortages, delaying housework until water is once again available

and forcing them to store water, particularly for residents on higher floors. The problem peaks

during the month of Ramadan. Another problem is the financial burden resulting from shared

meters in most buildings resulting in higher monthly charges.

III. Electricity

The most important problem regarding electricity is the high cost as there are no separate

meters in many houses. This represents a greater financial burden, forcing some families to

install illegal electricity connections. As for power outages, people noted their persistence

although the recurrence rate decreased significantly lately. Respondents reported the

consistence between the rates of power cuts between BD and other districts in Cairo.

IV. Gas connections

Most people in the area have natural gas connections. With the exception of the recent rise in

prices, there are no complaints about the service. Some families complained that they do not

have natural gas connections as their homes do not meet the technical requirements of

installation or due to the bad condition of other services. People living in ground floors in

particular were not able to install natural gas connections as they do not have a separate

kitchen. The unavailability of natural gas increases the financial burden of having to depend on

gas cylinders which are subjected to a black market with highly volatile and manipulated prices,

costing on average LE 40 per cylinder. In addition, many people have difficulties to find

cylinders and some people are unable to carry the cylinders to the higher-up floors, particularly

senior citizens and women.

4.2.3 Problems related to Basic Services

I. Solid Waste

Most respondents mentioned poor solid waste

management as a main problem with an impact

on health and finances, as well as a negative

effect on traffic flow and people’s daily activities.

Solid waste is one of the oldest and most

persistent problems facing BD where most

respondents could not remember when it began

and some even described it as ‘the eternal

problem of BD’.

21

Solid waste issues are mainly due to the lack of household waste collection services.

Respondents stated that there is no service despite the fact that waste management fees are

collected with the electricity bill. The waste

collection points are insufficient and people are

forced to dispose of their waste independently.

The most common spot for waste disposal is by

Al Zumor Canal, leading to waste accumulation and the blockage of the canal. People stated

that the District’s garbage bins at the collection points are not sufficient to accommodate the

generated waste, forcing people to dispose of waste in the canal or other nearby spots.

Respondents complained about the financial burden of private waste collection. Residents

mentioned that private waste collection services are irregular and costly (one or two pounds

per waste bag); hence they resort to piling waste and disposing of it in the street.

In some areas, particularly in the Market street and Al

Zumor Canal Street, shop owners burn accumulating

waste in the street, causing air pollution and leading to

increasing cases of asthma, particularly among children.

Residents of the Market Street and Al Zumor Canal Street

mentioned the spread of informal horse stalls and the accompanying spread of insects and

mosquitoes inside the houses. Women stated they often have to clean and dispose of waste

and animal remains in front of their houses. Walking to the canal to dispose of waste is also a

long distance. They considered that private door to door waste collection service will solve the

problem.

II. Streets Conditions

Narrow streets that characterize BD limit vehicular accessibility. Consequently, most problems

are concentrated in main roads like the Market Street (Ter’et al Zumor Street) and Nahia Street.

The most important problems around the Market area are the vendors’ encroachment on both

sides of the street, hindering traffic and pedestrian movement significantly. The situation is

worsened by poorly paved roads due to continuous sewer overflows.

“They backfilled the canal and we have no place to dispose of

wastes . Shops burn the waste and children suffer from smoke”

Figure 12 Waste in front of vocational training

school

Figure 14 Tuc Tuc & Microbus stops at

Khashab bridge

Figure 13 Vendors’ encroachment on Market

Street

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Market vendors in Ter’et al Zumor Street expressed their concern of being forced to move due

to the construction of the new metro line. They stated that they are concerned that they may

lose their livelihood if they are relocated. Vendors in this area have suffered fiancially since

2011 from deteriorated income and living standards.

People complained about the limited presence of police leading to lack of safety in the Market

area. The overcrowding leads to conflicts and clashes between vendors, drivers and

pedestrians. The absence of traffic organization in such streets exacerbates the problem.

Female respondents stated that the spread of traditional coffee shops in the residential area

limits their mobility in streets.

People said that the streets are lit at night through personal initiatves by shop owners or using

lamps installed by residents to compensate for the lack of lighting poles in many areas and the

lack of maintenance to the standing poles.

III. Transportation

Respondents mentioned that the transportation network

leading to and from BD is satisfactory. Internal

transportation is limited to Tuc Tucs as a result of narrow

streets. Most of the sample were uncomfortable with the

drivers’ negative behaviour (drug abuse, harassment,

unsafe driving, high costs). Respondents called for

licensing Tuc Tucs and allocating stations for them to

control traffic violations.

IV. Local Administration

BD residents expressed the importance of additional efforts and services from the local district

administration. They mentioned the deterioration in the level of service provision since 2011.

They named for instance the lack of police stations in the area as well as limited efforts of the

local district administration to better organize the market and street vendors, which aggravate

local traffic and waste problems.

Youth respondents also mentioned feeling unjustly treated

by the police only because they are residents of BD and

thus stigmatised. Police tends to automatically assume

that male youths from BD are thugs or drug dealers and

can arbitrarily subject them to additional inspection. Youth

in particular feel frustrated and reluctant to mention that

they are from BD when they leave the area.

Figure 15 Women queing for

transportation

Figure 16 Recreational area

23

V. Recreational services

Respondents indicated that BD lacks recreational facilities except the private amusement park

by Al Zumor Canal. Some individuals stated that they avoid this area due to the negative

attitudes and behaviour of drivers. In addition to house visits, BD residents seek entertainment

outside the area, if they have the means.

Concerning youth centres, younger respondents complained about the high rental fees of the

football playground costing EGP 80. They tend to join free activities offered by the youth centre

such as the table tennis or private gyms and cafes. Additionally, youth centres are sometimes

closed off during election periods.

Respondents also indicated that there is no public library in the project area. The nearest library

is located in Amer City. Recently, most youth activities previously provided by mosques have

decreased in light of safety restrictions.

4.2.4 Environment and Climate Change

Respondents noted that the main environmental problem was the accumulated waste along Al

Zumor Canal and the related spread of pests. They were not able to identify specific sources

of pollution except for microbus exhaust.

As for climate change, residents reported that temperatures have dropped during winter season

in the recent years, leading to higher spread of influenza. On the contrary, temperatures have

risen during summer, forcing them to install more fans and increasing electricity consumption.

Many families reported that in light of the decreased standard of living in the recent years they

have not been able to purchase any new appliances and rely on old ones when they were

available. They mentioned that the problem can be partially attributed to the poor urban

planning. Informal building style characterizing BD restricts ventilation and sun exposure.

Groups especially affected by climate change are children, bedbound people and the elderly

as they are more prone to the flu, dehydration, respiratory problems, and allergies. The

increase in temperature during summer together with accumulated solid waste has also led to

a remarkable increase in the mosquito population.

Youths were aware that climate change is a global problem and not unique to BD. They

attributed global warming to the Ozone depletion. They were however unable to recall any local

initiatives dealing with climate change. Female respondents were not aware of climate change

saying that ‘to their knowledge weather is controlled by God’ and were thus less able to propose

solutions. Respondents stressed that it is more important to address the problem of waste in

BD rather than focusing on planting trees which was done in previous initiatives in BD.

BD as an informal area lacks the ability to cope with the change in climate change. The current

architectural standards are underequipped with social and technical infrastructure for coping.

Extreme high density and the status of buildings in the area make upgrading interventions for

climate change adaptation difficult to implement.

It could be useful for future projects to conduct a more in depth study of the expected effects of climate change in informal areas as well as define methods to increase knowledge on the

24

issue among different concerned stakeholders such as district authority and local NGOs which could result in a scaling-up or spill over effect to a larger proportion of local residents.

25

General Ranking of Problem Priorities

Problem

Total Priority

Solid Waste 41 1

Sewage 35 2

Street conditions (Unpaved roads, transportation, traffic congestion, street vendors)

33 3

Safety (harrasment and drugs) 15 4

Potable water 15 5

Electricity 10 6

Education 4 7

Gas 2 8

Hospitals 2 9

Pollution 1 10

Table 8 Ranking of Problems

26

Community Planning Workshops

Total No. of Meetings with NGOs and Community Leaders: 4

NGOs Name

Total NGOs 10 Rowad Al Ghad

Total female participants 11 El ‘ilm

Total male participants 26 Al Injaz

Altwabiah for Community Development

Rwad Al Biaah

Tahfiz Al Qura’n

Bany Hilal

Abnaa El Tawil

Na’am min Ajlak ant

Abnaa Al Farisia

Figure 9 Description of attendees

Main Findings

The consultant held four community planning workshops with the natural leaders and civil

society representatives in BD to present and discuss the study’s results, the identified

priorities, the proposed solutions, and the available resources.

The workshops have largely confirmed the results and priorities identified in the study. Results

focused on the problems of sewage, potable water, pavement condition and the spread of

drugs as the most important problems facing the study area.

The general priorities are sewage, safety and drugs in addition to priorities of each sub-area:

Zone 1: unemployment

Zone 2: all problems, but mainly drugs,

transportation, theft

Zone 3: waste, the declined quality of schools

Zone 4/5: electricity problem – no ground

electrical cables and streets are dark

In addition to the afore-mentioned problems,

participants also discussed the causes of the

problems as follows:

During the field work participants from the local community stated that some previous projects

targeting the upgrading of the sewage network replaced the pump station with slope networks

that proved unfit for the nature of squatter areas such as BD. The community workshops

Figure 17 Community Planning Workshop #1

27

confirmed this explanation for the current increase of pressure on the existing sewage

networks, which is that pump stations do not operate all the time.

In addition to the bad conditions of water networks and intermittent water supply to decrease

the pressure on the sewage network, the participants complained about the contamination of

potable water with sewage water.

The respondents referred to the cleanliness of small alleys compared to the larger streets,

indicating the bad waste collection service and the waste accumulation does not necessary

reflect the people’s behaviour. The attendees attracted the work team’s attention to the fact

that the community does not approve of the presence of big garbage containers in front of

their homes since they lead to the spread of bad smells and insects, forcing people to move

them or set fire to them.

Besides the poor conditions of the public transportation network in the study area, the

inhabitants highlighted problems concerning the deteriorating conditions of the streets

because of potholes and narrowness. Participants pointed to the poor condition of the

transportation networks linking Boulaq el Dakrour area and the neighbouring areas. The

bad road conditions hinder the movement of all means of transportation within the area.

Pedestrian bridges (the only path for many people) are crowded and very difficult to climb,

limiting the movement of elderly and disabled people. Some young respondents expressed

their resentment as they feel isolated from the neighbouring areas and feel discarded due to

the poor conditions of the transportation networks linking BD and Mohandessin, for example,

which is separated from them by the railway.

The participants confirmed the poor conditions of roads and the public transportation

service. The public transportation networks do not cover the internal streets of Boulaq el

Dakrour due to the narrowness of its streets, leading to the spread of Tuc Tucs and

microbuses. The attendees complained about the bad condition of the unpaved streets which

lead to taxi drivers refusing to enter the area. Some roads were paved without solving the

infrastructure problem, forcing people and district authorities to remove the interlock tiles or

break the asphalt to carry out the necessary repairs.

The attendees referred to the lack of schools in the area, citing problems such as

overcrowded classrooms and low quality education. They also indicated that there are no

secondary schools in the area, limiting the opportunities especially for girls to continue their

education. Families are afraid to allow them to go out of the area, in addition to the financial

burden of transportation. A female respondent mentioned that people sometimes falsify

residency documents to be able to enrol their children in schools outside their residence area.

As for the private schools, the buses refuse to enter the area because of the bad condition of

roads.

Participants attributed the problem of safety and the spread of drugs to the high

unemployment rate among youths and to the low income of others, compelling some people

to work in drug dealing in addition to their day jobs in order to meet the needs of their families.

28

On the other hand, addiction treatment centres are not easily accessible for those who become

addicted.

Some participants mentioned that the area of Plot 4 and 5 frequently suffers from electricity

problems since the area was agricultural land and was built up without proper infrastructure,

particularly electricity. This reflects the poor conditions of infrastructure services provided to

houses in such areas.

Women stated that there are no entertainment facilities in Boulaq el Dakrour area and

described the bad condition of youth centres and clubs in addition to their poor capacities and

services provided to children. They expressed their desire to have special services for women

such as gyms or cultural activities for entertainment.

Many NGO representatives mentioned also that there are no cars for poor families to use for

transporting deceased persons.

Local residents were aware that the “German Project” (as people named it) had some previous

projects in BD. Many people expressed mixed feelings regarding sustainable impacts of these

projects. The future upgrading interventions in the area will thus have to take into account and

actively deal with this ambivalent legacy. However, many residents confirmed that they

welcomed the amended approach adopted by the upgrading project during the current stage.

The groups also welcomed the role of GIZ as a mediator that works in cooperation with the

local partners including regulators such as the District and NGOs, as well as local residents in

order to ensure the best benefit from the provided projects.

As for the proposed project interventions, the civil society representatives welcomed the

idea of mutual efforts among various associations and confirmed the common positive

experiences in the past, provided that implementing NGOs from BD will be included. The

proposals concentrated on sustainable, productive projects providing job opportunities to

youths and improving the living conditions in the area. Some participating associations

proposed the establishment of a union council for the associations to monitor and distribute

the works in the area as well as to be a partner in the implementation of projects.

Proposed projects cover solid waste collection and recycling, establishment of a shelter for

widows and divorced women providing activities and vocational training. The establishment of

training centres for youth and the development of supportive mechanisms for those seeking

employment were also amongst the proposed initiatives. In the field of education, attendees

expressed the need to hold literacy classes and raise awareness for the importance of

education amongst local residents.

Local residents also referred to the importance of organizing street vendors and of limiting

them to specially equipped areas. In addition, they proposed improving the organization of the

current stop areas or stations for various means of transportation and indicated the importance

of the regulatory and monitoring role for the success of such initiatives.

29

The participants frequently referred to problems that can be solved by the society, and most

of them prefer focusing on the infrastructure problems as they are easier to tackle than more

complex social problems such as lack of safety, drug abuse, or even the cleanliness behaviour

of the area’s population. Most participants requested the establishment of an additional police

station or at least the introduction of fixed and movable police patrols in BD.

As for the infrastructure problems, residents frequently referred to the dire need for

coordination among agencies responsible for infrastructure maintenance and repaving of

streets. People expected that this effort will positively affect the movement of pedestrians and

vehicles.

The participants warned the consultant against implementing any development projects during

election time fearing that the candidates may ascribe the results of the project and positive

developments to themselves for political gains.

Available Resources in the Area:

The Spatial Element:

Some NGOs proposed the use of their headquarters for any projects such as literacy

classes, for example.

Lands of the Ministry of Agriculture: a school complex or at least one high school for

girls is proposed.

Human Resources:

Youths and school students should be encouraged to clean streets through attractive

activities and collective events.

Financial Resources:

Businessmen: they can help support projects carried out in BD financially if they find

them to have a true benefit for the people.

Public Day

The public day serves the purpose of demonstrating to

members of the community the commitment of the PNA

process to consider the priority needs of the community as

the basis of any future actions or plans in the area. This

step comes in an effort to lay the foudation for future

related interventions by building trust between the

community and the different stakeholders.

The district authority chief was very concerned that

parliamentary candidates would participate in the event for

political gains from the PNA process. He proposed holding

the public day at the venue of a neutral NGO (Masjid el

Taqwa).The selected venue was further away from the Figure 18 Public Day Panel

30

study area (located at the end of the area), but the consultant compensated forthe geographical

distance by providing transportation from the youth center to the selected location.

Group Number

Community members 35

NGOs 7

Public employees 8

Media 2

Total Number of Participants 52

Table 10 Description of attendees

Main Findings

Main problems that were confirmed during the findings of the public days were sewage and

waste management.

Another problem was the market street at Tereat el

Zomor where street enchroachements block

pedestrian and vehevular traffic, while vendors

complain about the deteriorated quality of the

vending stalls. Safety problems near the ring road

area such as burglaries and drugs were also

mentioned.

Other problems related to services such as the

quality of healthcare services or the bad quality of

education as a result of (among others) the density

of students in the classrooms were also mentioned.

Some participants also expressed their concerns

regarding the sustainable impacts of upgrading interventions taking place in BD, as they

had witnessed the mixed results of previous interventions in the area by GIZ.

Respondents also proposed increasing the involvement of civil society actors in the

development process in BD where they can propose, implement and monitor some different

development initiaitives. In particular, participants stressed the need to maintain and upgrade

facilities and services such as sewage networks and waste collection as well as the importance

of vocational training and job opportunities for youth.

Figure 19 Public Day Participants

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5. Conclusion and Recommendations

Proposed Interventions

Proposed interventions vary according to their urgency, scope and geographic locations. This

section will outline some of the necessary interventions as proposed by the project consultants

according to the analysis of the characteristics of the local area. The selected interventions are

based on the identified problems and priorities in addition to the scope of impact. Some

proposed interventions are targeting the wider geographic location (area-wide interventions). It

is important to take into consideration the strategic national plans for area upgrading, prepared

by various governmental institutions at different levels of government. There are also a series

of more specific “action areas” and projects; specific interventions that are easier to target and

require a shorter timeframe to finalize. These interventions are presented as project briefs that

combine urban and socio-economic dimensions organized according to themes.

Area-Wide Interventions

Problems identified during the field work that were considered as priority issues, were mainly

related to infrastructure: sewage, solid waste management, and water. These problems have

a strong impact on the street conditions and the socio-economic status of the community as

they entail a lack of mobility and lack of access to employment opportunities,

limitingemployability especially amongst youth and women. The consultant proposes several

interventions related to the above-mentioned problems to imporve the socio-economic

conditions and opportunities among the BD poplulation.

It is recommended that interventions start in the areas most affected by these problems as they

can considerably improve the daily life of residents thereby achieving a wider reach and impact

for the interventions and leaving behind an impression of inclusion amongst the residents.

These larger interventions require further planning but they consitute the top priorities for the

population. Planning and implementation can be conducted in stages to ensure the community

that their voice has been taken into consideration. It is also very important to sustain the

dialogue between the state authorities and the community. An urgent upgrading of the sewage

network is indeed a high priority need of the community.

First, concerning utilities problems and in particular the sewage problem, this kind of

intervention requires an action from formal state institutions (utilities department and the district

authority). The public sector is in fact the only party authorized to upgrade or develop

infrastructure networks. The project calls for a wider emphasis among required authorities to

draw attention for the urgency of the sewage problem in Boulaq el Dakrour5. The Consultant

also proposed opening communication channels between residents and the Local district

authorities to discuss and clarify the causes of the sewage problem and to discuss the efforts

exerted to solve it.

5 A special funding is forseen for direct awards by the PDP project with regards these interventions.

32

-

- Second, other relevant interventions are related to improvig the waste management

system and local NGO’s were willing to participate in providing this service. Solid waste

management interventions require multi-actor approaches, between state actors and

civil society players.

- Third, putting in place capacity building programs for youth in relevant fields,

especially vocational skills (no technical or voctional secondary streets available in the

area), will create longer – term job opportunities and can contribute to combating drug

consumption and involvement in illegal practices.

- Fourth, upgrading street conditions by adding features such as street lighting through

participatory programs between the district and the residents will improve mobility and

feelings of safety.

Thematic project briefs:

The consultant proposes in addition to area-wide interventions a series of thematic

interventions distributed across socio-physical zones of similar characteristics within the study

area:

Boulaq el Dakrour

Observed Streets

Sewage Problem

Use of TucTuc for Transportation

Figure 20 Map depicting Sewage problems and their connectivity to the spread of tuctucs

33

Peripheral Main Streets

Peripheral main streets function as main connectors between the study area and adjacent

areas. This leads to increased intensity of both pedestrian and vehicular traffic along these

streets. Consequently those streets host several urban patterns such as informal mass transit

stations, street vendors, markets and garbage collection points. The main food market of the

area is located along Al-Zomor Canal Street close to the railroad crossing point that serves as

a connector to the ‘formal city’ given that the area has limited access points to the city across

the railways. Zenein Canal Street has similar patterns. There are several problems associated

with these types of streets that were reflected in the needs expressed by the residents: they

mentioned problems related to solid waste management and health, safety, mobility and

employment.

SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT

Project 1: Effective Solid Waste Management System

Problem: Residents of internal streets dispose of their waste along Zomor canal, especially

the parts which have not been filled yet. In addition, burning of solid waste has been

reported during the study, which exacerbates the pollution problem. This problem reinforces

the negative image of the neighbourhood since it occurs along the routes that have

maximum exposure to outsiders. This cognitive problem affects the youth of the area

negatively and nurtures the stigmatization and sense of being “informal”; and marginalized.

Objectives: Improve Solid Waste Management system through an integrated approach,

which involves NGOs and civil society actors in the solid waste management process

including collection, transportation, and safe disposal.

Potential: Eagerness among youth, especially young women, to improve the image of the

area which they feel reflects on their identity as well as the strong will from the civil society

members to participate in providing the door to door collection service.

Scope of intervention:

The Local administration should design an integrated waste management plan

including the role of NGO’s in providing an efficient door to door collection system

NGOs and civil society design and implement an awareness strategy to segregate

waste from the source (residential and commercial units)

NGOs and civil society mobilize the community to participate in the waste collection

plan.

NGOs and civil society provide door to door waste collection service

NGOs and civil society integrate the informal waste workers/businesses in the area in

the plan.

NGOs transport the collected waste to composting plants or recovery areas for

recovery of the valuable materials, ensure NGOs will safely dispose of the collected

waste

34

NGOs will sell collected waste to special dealers who conduct waste recovery in order

for the NGOs to secure a source of income in addition to the fees collected from the

households

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES

Project 2: Upgrading Food Market in integration with the Metro project

Problem: Food Market vendors are encroaching on the street outside of the market area while

leaving the inside of the market abandoned. This causes traffic congestions and the

abandoned market place is used as storage space but also is said to be used for drug

consumption and dealing.

Objectives: Food Markets need to be upgraded in order to ensure health and safety of food

products. Consequently, this project is a crosscutting project between Employment and Health

Potential: The market place is foreseen to be demolished to make way for the upcoming Metro

project. This is a chance to rethink the Market as an integral part of the area’s development

interventions.


Moving the market and redesigning it in light of a clear understanding of the actual

market needs to avoid that the market structure becomes abandoned or inefficient.

It is recommended that the merchants are included in the design process.

Local government and NGOs can be involved in raising health awareness and in

organizing the operation of the Food Market, to ensure product packaging, handling,

and solid waste disposal is done in accordance with health standards.

Coordination with a contractor/entrepreneur specialized in organic waste disposal,

where the Food Market Management sets a time schedule for waste picking from the

market.

Project 3: Vocational and technical skills training centers by NGOs

Youth of BD area are involved in illegal activities of drug use and driving Tuk Tuks as a result

of the lack of employment opportunities as well as the absence of technical and vocational

schools in the area.

Problem: Youth, especially males, who suffer from unemployment lead to strong financial

pressure on families. At the same time there is a lack of skilled workers in most areas.

Objectives: Capacity building of youth to create employment opportunities. NGOs can play

an important role in this field by establishing training centers for technical and vocational skills..

Potential: Previous interventions related to employment promotion and education can provide

training curricula and technical support for NGOs as well as certification of graduates in order

to ensure the graduates’ ability to find job opportunities.

35

Scope of Intervention:

- NGOs in the area can start by preparing vocational and skills training centers, existing

schools or training facilities can be used.

- NGOs in coordination with the local government seek professional support to provide

curricula for the new centers

- NGOs with the support of the local administration should seek certification of the

training programs from relevant authorities

- NGOs deliver the training programs under the supervision of relevant ministries

- NGOs support the students in participating in employment fairs

- Establish an employment facilitation unit to support the bridging of the gap between

blue collars and factories

Project 4: Organizing and formalizing street vendors

Street vending is a source of income for many youth who cannot find employment elsewhere.

This source of income is economically sustainable along the peripheral streets around the

residential block. There is a high demand to shop on trips in and out of the area and therefore

this activity intensifies near entrances to BD. Hotspots for informal vending activities are the

areas surrounding railroad crossings, the pedestrian bridge and mass transit stations on those

peripheral streets.

Problem: Unorganized street vending causes congestion of traffic and increases the risk of

accidents, while on the other hand, periodic expulsion of street vendors by local administration

officials, interrupts the single source of income of the vendors’ families.

Objectives: Developing the streetscape to include organized street vending activities with

fixed locations along urban gaps taking into consideration vendors’ needs in terms of lighting,

solid waste management, as well as managing street vendors not to obstruct mobility.

Potential: Peripheral streets are wider than the rest of the streets in the area and afford space

beyond the required Right of Way needed for mobility.


Participatory design to organize street vending spots along the pedestrian and

vehicular paths without obstructing people’s mobility.

Licensing street vendors according to space specified for them in the urban design

project of the street accompanied by regulations to ensure health and safety.

NGOs understand the street vendors’ waste frequency and type (organic / non organic)

and integrate them into the solid waste management plan mentioned above.

Implement awareness campaigns to motivate street vendors (especially food related

vendors) to follow the regulations set by Local Government showing them the benefits

of reaching win-win situations.

NGOs monitor Local Government to keep their end of the deal, which is to provide

vendors with services in return to their compliance to regulations and payment.

36

HEALTH

Project 5: Productive and Healthy youth – Raise awareness against the impacts of drugs

among youth

Problem: Spread of drug abuse and drug dealing inside the residential areas

Objective: To enhance young people’s capacities to participate in the labour market, in order to enable them to get job opportunities rather than being involved in illegal activities Scope of intervention:

Integrate youth in upgrading projects of the area by including entrepreneurial

components following a sustainable business model.

NGOs offer breakaway addiction services.

Recovered drug abusers participate in the breakaway addiction programs, to offer help

according to their own experience in overcoming their addiction.

Advanced and high-tech capacity building programs with affordable prices (subsidized)

for handicrafts (such as; plumbing, electricity, car mechanics,…). This will give young

people the opportunity to develop their skills and find better quality employment as a

consequence.

Project 6: Improving healthcare services

Problem: Inadequate healthcare services especially among the poorest groups

Objective: Upgrade the current healthcare units in the area to accommodate more cases


- Renovate available healthcare units in collaboration with the local NGOs especially for

the poorest groups who cannot afford the cost of private healthcare services

- Provide specialized healthcare units (it was mentioned during the interviews that only

general practitioners are available in the area and there is a lack of specialized

healthcare services)

PUBLIC SPACE (ACCESSIBILITY)

Project 7: Organizing informal mass transit stations

Problem: Congestion around transport hubs which leads to frequent violence and is associated

with harassment of women and girls.

Objective: Improve mobility conditions and transport connections to increase opportunities

especially for the most marginalized (women – handicap) to access education and

employment.


Organizing the station after understanding the capacity and operational demands

37

NGOs can train drivers and informal station managers on appropriate self-organization

models so as to increase the efficiency of the entrepreneurial financial and managerial

practices currently applied.

Identifying the supporting services necessary such as toilets and vehicle servicing

activities.

Preparing feasibility studies for a Private-Public partnership between service providers and

LG Unit.

Revise LG practices in mass transit station management to acquire more autonomy in

service provision such as SWM and safety.

EDUCATION

Project 8: Upgrading existing school infrastructure

Problem: Schools suffer from a deteriorated infrastructure especially toilets and sewage

conditions

Objective: Renovate the school infrastructure


Improve and develop the infrastructure and sewage of the existing schools in BD

Project 9: Improve the quality of education by providing improved training to school

teachers

Problem: The local community especially women mentioned the economic burden from

private tutoring since the quality of education in public schools is very low

Objective: Improve the educational environment through capacity building measures for

school teachers


Train teachers on innovative teaching methods, especially those suitable for large

groups of students

Implement extracurricular activities to engage students more actively in the school

environment

Internal Residential Areas

PUBLIC SPACE - SAFETY (WOMEN AND CHILDREN)

Project 9: Vibrant and Safer Bee’ah Street

38

Problem: Bee’ah Street serves as a connexion between Hamphrey’s and Zenein Canal

Streets and offers several services (mosque, vocational training centre, Dar al Muslim

Preparatory School). The main problem of the street is a reduced sense of safety amongstgirls

and women; this is due to low pedestrian and vehicular traffic and abundance of solid walls.

Bad conditions of the street and sewage problems represent an additional reason behind the

low activity. This has caused women, especially girls from Dar al Muslim School, to complain

about harassment.

Objectives: Revitalizing the street to improve safety against harassment for women, through

reviving activities in the street and improving walkability.

Potential: This street is not a main mobility artery and has light traffic which affords more

space for stationary activity to be established along the solid walls of educational facilities.


Focusing on reviving shopping activities through attracting activities that would not

interfere with female passer-by’s (avoid workshops and male-dominant activities).

Redesigning impermeable walls to be used for activities to employ different

marginalized groups from the communities (women, older people, people living with

disabilities) to avoid male youths from dominating the street

Organise street activities that address the need for leisure and cultural activities.

Fixing street paving conditions and sewage ne_twork.

Design and implement anti-harassment strategies by NGOs and include youth from

both genders of the community in the implementation phase.

- Harassment from vendors - Solid Waste - Horse stables - Increased congestion due

to encroachments from vendors on street

- market area being used for drug abuse

- Lack of safety at the ‘khashab’ bridge

- Cases of kidnapping

- Spread of drugs in residential streets (Bahary Mosque, Abbas Ali Eissa, ‘Ahd el Gadid, Mohamed Mahgoub, Al Sunneia Mosque at Nahia Street)

- Problems due to the encroachment of vendors on the street

- Cases of Harassment - Lack of safety

Boulaq el Dakrour

Figure 21 Map of Needs and Resources

39

Challenges to the PNA process

BD UUU members showed their commitment to the PNA process during the initial phase of

capacity building and trainings, however they seemed less likely to engage actively in the

subsequent phases of the study. Some of the members were concerned to participate in field

work due to safety issues or due to their official duties with the district. Some of the members

expressed their personal preference to withdraw from the unit to better perform their official

duties. In that light, and following the approval of GIZ, the consultant was propelled to engage

their own team of field researchers to finalize the study. On the other hand, the upcoming

parliamentary elections posed a challenge to the PNA process as it demanded extra effort to

make sure to only engage with non-partisan members of the community and to protect the

PNA process from being hijacked by electoral candidates. The consultant had to ensure that

the PNA remained neutral to any forms of political interests.

Recommendations

Based on the study findings, the consultant proposes the following recommendations:

- Urban Upgrading Unit in Boulaq el Dakrour District

o Careful selection and capacity building of the UUU head for leadership and

PNA skills; as for the UUU members, they should if possible include members

from youth and sports department, social solidarity and information centre in

addition to the current utilities, and planning and monitoring departments.

o The consultant proposes an evaluation of BD district level UUU which includes

evaluating their level of commitment to cooperate and participate in future

trainings and activities. Current BD UUU members have different degrees of

overall interest in being involved in future upgrading activities. Hence, the unit

is in need of intensive capacity building for an improved and more constructive

participation in the PNA process.

- Civil Society and NGOs

o In general the PNA process needs a more representative sample of NGOs to

participate in the community planning workshops. Good practice can include

collaboration between large and grassroots NGOs. Experience sharing

sessions can also be useful for NGOs that have received previous GIZ funding.

o The social solidarity directorate at the district level should be involved in the

PNA process to achieve a more constructive and representative dialogue

between the district and the civil society.

- Taskforce Members

o Creating and investing in a youth-based taskforce is considered an asset for

the PNA process. The process could benefit from their energy, awareness of

existing problems in their district as well as their willingness to bring about

change. The youth could subsequently be included in the trainings provided to

NGOs.

- Project interventions

40

o The consultant proposes a more participatory approach during selection of

project interventions during the call for proposals. Community members can

also be consulted about the impact of the projects in order to avoid projects

that are not accepted by the community. In addition, a mechanism for

community monitoring of the implementation should be established.

o The most popular demand was the need for a strong impact intervention such

as upgrading the sewage network. The scope of such projects is beyond the

capacity of GIZ’s current call for proposals, but it might be useful to identify

collaborative NGOs for interventions such as joint infrastructure projects to

respond to the actual needs of the community.

- Methodology of the PNA

o The kick-off phase should include an area-specific orientation including the

results of any previous PDP studies, interventions, key stakeholders and

lessons learned to increase benefit and avoid any duplication of effort.

o Noting the importance of selecting the timeframe of the study to avoid major

obstructing events like elections and exams periods which caused a limitation

on the larger-scale community engagement activities as well as the

engagement of youths for the taskforces.

o It is recommended to reduce the number of Focus Group Discussions in future

PNA endeavours, as the large number of FGS did not yield enough additional

outcomes relative tothe time and effort invested in the process. Instead,

increasing the number of community planning workshops is seen to have more

added value in terms of verifying preliminary results as well as proposing and

discussing potential interventions.

o Holding two separate public day events per area/district targeting residents on

the one level and civil society members on the other level has proved to be

more efficient in terms of presenting results and discussing potential

interventions.

Summary of proposed Interventions

1. An urgent overall upgrading of the sewage network is indeed the first need of the

community, with a special emphasis on upgrading the sewage network that replaces

the canal after backfilling.

2. Including NGOs and civil society players in the solid waste management process to

provide an integrated solution to the waste problem including collection, transportation

and safe disposal.

3. Moving the market and redesigning it in light of a clear understanding of the vendors’

needs to avoid that the formal market area getting abandoned. It is recommended that

the merchants are included in the design process.

4. Developing street conditions according to an interdisciplinary approach which includes

planning activities for vacant land or unused spaces, takes into consideration the

needs for waste management, improved management of transportation stops as well

as regulation of street vending activities. All of this needs to be planned in line with the

Metro project.

41

5. Increasing security presence in BD.

6. Developing and organizing transportation stops and provision of safety and waste

management for the stops by the responsible authorities.

7. Fixing street conditions and upgrading the sewage network will also lead to a

revitalization of streets, which can in turn foster economic development and increase

feelings of safety in the streets, especially amongst women. .

8. Redesigning and upgrading public space to be used for leisure, socialising or business

activities; different marginalized groups from the communities (women, older people,

people living with disabilities) can be employed in this process and the upgrading will

hinder male youths from dominating the street.

9. Developing & upgrading power transmission networks.

10. Putting in place capacity building programs for youth in fields relevant to available job

opportunities.

42

6. List of Tables

Table 1 Sample of the Street Observation 8

Table 2 Sample Description of the Key Informant Interviews 8

Table 3 Sample Description of the Focus Group Discussions 9

Table 4 Poverty Distribution at PNA Study Area 11

Table 5 Immigration reasons 11

Table 6 Employment rates at PNA Target Areas 12

Table 7 BD services 12

Table 8 Ranking of Problems 25

Figure 9 Description of attendees 26

Table 10 Description of attendees 30

7. List of Figures

Figure 1 Kick off meeting at Giza Governorate (pictured: Assistant Secretary General

to the Governor, Governorate level UUU head, BD district chief and GIZ

representative) 4

Figure 2 Training of Trainers for BD UUU 6

Figure 3 Dividing the working area 6

Figure 4 Map of the Zones and Blocks for Boulaq el Dakrour District 7

Figure 5: Map of the Zones and Blocks for Boulaq el Dakrour District6th October St. 7

Figure 6 Locations of held KIIs and FGDs 10

Figure 7 Map Classifying different Commercial Streets in BD 13

Figure 8 A map of problems and resources in the study area 14

Figure 9 A Kindergarten at BD area 16

Figure 10 Sewage water overflowing inside a house 19

Figure 11 Water Pump on Zumor Canal Street 19

43

Figure 12 Waste in front of vocational training school 21

Figure 13 Vendors’ encroachment on Market Street 21

Figure 14 Tuc Tuc & Microbus stops at Khashab bridge 21

Figure 15 Women queing for transportation 22

Figure 16 Recreational area 22

Figure 17 Community Planning Workshop #1 26

Figure 18 Public Day Panel 29

Figure 19 Public Day Participants 30

Figure 20 Map depicting Sewage problems and their connectivity to the spread of

tuctucs 32

Figure 21 Map of Needs and Resources 38

8. Annexes Annex 1: Community Planning Workshop

Annex 2: Public Day

Annex 3: Project Briefs

Published by:

Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ)GmbH

German Development Cooperation

Participatory Development Programme

c/o Ministry of Urban Renewal and Informal Settlements 3 Al Mokhayam Al Daem St. 5th Floor 11852 Cairo, Egypt

T +202 404 12 74

F +202 404 12 74

E-Mail: [email protected]

http://www.egypt-urban.de/

c/o GIZ Office Cairo 4d, El Gezira Street 3rd Floor 11211 Zamalek, Egypt T: +20 2 273 59 750 F: +20 2 273 82 981 E-Mail: [email protected] http://www.giz.de

This programme is funded by the EU

Place and date of Publication:

http://www.egypt-urban.de/

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