On October 15, 2019, a protocol of cooperation was signed between Takatof Association for Development and the Federation of Egyptian Banks. The project aims at a comprehensive upgrade of both Hassan Salem Tamaa Primary School & the Student Clinic annexed to it, and Arab Kafr El Elw Primary School in Tebbin, Helwan, in Cairo Governorate.
On the 30th of August 2018, the library members celebrated the end of 2018’s summer activities. The event was held at Sakiet El Sawy in Zamalek.. The children presented, in front of their families, beautiful plays, choir songs, they performed dances, and recited poetry. They also presented some general knowledge, historical and famous personalities they learned about during their cultural activities.
Takatof signs a grant contract with Embassy of Japan
On Thursday, March 22nd, 2018, His Excellency Takehiro Kagawa, Ambassador of Japan to Egypt and Dr. Ahmed Shawki, Treasurer of Takatof Association for Development signed a grant a contract with the Embassy of Japan. Present at the ceremony were Mrs. Mireille Nessim, CEO of Takatof Association for Development and a representative of the embassy.
The grant amounting to US$270,035 is for the improvement of the educational environment in El Orouba Primary School in Imbaba, Giza Governorate. The grant will be utilized to upgrade the physical school facility as well as to provide teachers, students and the communities with various activities and capacity building. It is worth mentioning that some students will be trained on the use of Abacus as the first pilot project in a public school.
Within the framework of the “Together for Enhancing Our School” project today, February 11, 2018, was the inauguration of Hoda Shaarawi Primary School in El Mattareya upgraded by TakatofAssociation for Development, as part of the Egyptian/ German cooperation, through the Participatory Development Programme in Urban Areas (PDP) and funded by the “European Union and the German Government”.
Attending were H.E. Ms. Ghada Wali, Minister of Social Solidarity, Dr. Reda Hegazi, Head of the Public Education Sector, Dr. Gamal Shiha head of the Education Committee at the Egyptian Parliament, Mr. Sebastian Lech, First Counselor for Development Cooperation – Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany, Mr. Stephan David Programme Manager – Agriculture and Rural Development – European Union Delegation, Ms. Abeer Al Saheb, Head of Fund Management GIZ – Participatory Development Programme in Urban Areas, Dr. Hossam Badrawi, Chairman of Takatof Association for Development. Also present were, Gen. Yousry Abdallah, Head of the Educational Buildings Authority, Mr. Mohamed Attia, Head of Cairo Educational Directorate, Mr. Ahmed Shaaban, General Manager of the Mattareya Educational Directorate and Gen. Khaled El Mohammadi, Head of Mattareya District.
The Project aims at improving the educational environment in the school, through the physical upgrade, and the redistribution of space which guarantees the increase of number of classes and rooms to meet the school’s needs, as well as providing furnishings, supplies and equipment to ensure activation of the activities. This is in addition to implementing capacity building programs for school’s teachers, administrative staff, BoTs, and the staff of the Mattareya Educational Directorate (ED), life skills programs and activities for the students and awareness sessions for the students and their parent, and ophthalmological outreaches for the students and residents of Mattareya.
The needs assessment implemented before planning the project has identified a lot of problems in the school mainly: the high density of the classes, the lack of activities due to the lack of rooms and/or equipment, the bad structural condition of school, the lack of aeration and light in the classrooms, the inadequate and insufficient number of restrooms, the lack of teachers’ rooms, the inadequate playground of the primary section and the lack of a special area for the KG section. This is in addition to the need for capacity building of the teachers especially in teaching strategies and dealing with learning difficulties and behavioral problems of some students.
The project started in August 2017, and is implemented over a period of 14 months, at a total cost of 500,000 Euros. The physical upgrade of the school was implemented within the first 6 months of the project.
The cost of the project includes the physical upgrade, furnishings, supplies and equipment, capacity building programs for school’s teachers, administrative staff, BoTs, and the staff of the
Mattareya Educational Directorate (ED), life skills programs and activities for the students and awareness sessions for the students and their parents.
As the Association believes that real development cannot take place without human development and the provision of different services, the Project met the needs of the targeted groups through capacity building programs and activities,based on focus groups discussions (FGDs) and surveys. The programs were tailor made for each targeted group. Examples of Programs are as follows:
“Teachers’ Capacity Building” programs that were implemented during the 1st six months such as “Principles of Comprehensive Development” to empower them to implement the “Life Skills” program with their students, “Educational Strategies” to empower them to include students of different intelligences and improve their academic performance, provide teachers with the skills to identify learning difficulties and improve the academic performance for students with learning difficulties, “Curriculum Content Analysis” skills in order to specify the best strategies in teaching, and manufacturing educational tools suitable for active learning, teaching strategies for KG teachers and dealing with the behavioral problems of the students. “Management Training”: Training for El Mattareya primary schools’ principals and deputies on “Management and Leadership Skills”. “Students’ Programs and Activities”: (160) sessions are being implemented in the framework of the “Life Skills” program, “My School is Clean” initiative and camps for the students. The project will also implement ophthalmological outreaches.
**This article has been produced with the financial assistance of the European Union and the German Government. The contents of this document are the sole responsibility of Takatof Association for Development and can under no circumstances be regarded as reflecting the position of the European Union or the German Government.”
The Kickoff event of “Together for enhancing our School” Project was held on October 9, 2017. The upgrading project of Hoda Shaarawi Primary School in El Mattareya, funded by the European Union and the German Government within the framework of Participatory Development Programme in Urban Areas (PDP). The opening speeches were delivered by Dr. Hossam Badrawi, Chairman, Dr. Magued Osman, Vice Chairman, and Dr. Ahmed Shawki, Treasurer on behalf of Takatof Association for Development, Dr. Reda Hegazi, on behalf of the Minister of Education, Gen. Khaled El Mohammadi, Head of Mattareya District and Ms. Abeer El Saheb, Head of Fund Management GIZ – Participatory Development Programme in Urban Areas. Also present were Mr. Ahmed Shaaban, General Manager of the Mattareya Educational Directorate, Ms. Randa Halawa, Head of the Central Department for treatment of educational dropout school dropout, and also Eng. Rowaida Salah, Architectural Design Manager at the Educational Buildings Authority, Eng. Siham Gamal elDin, Cairo Division Manager at the Authority. The Association was also honored with the presence of
Ms. Manal El Gamil, member of Parliament, Prof. Manal Awad, Deputy Govenor of Giza, also present was Prof. Abla Abdel Latif, President of the Consultative Council for Economic Development of the Presidency and the Executive Director and Director of Research at the Egyptian Center for Economic Studies, who praised the scientific method used in the upgrade built on the needs’ assessment, monitoring and evaluation and impact measuring. Attending the event were also Mr. Gamal Mohammad, the school Principal, Mr. Hani Abdel Ghaffar the school Deputy and several teachers representing the school body who praised the training’s effectiveness.
Ms. Mireille Nessim, CEO of the Association presented the Project in detail and the importance of the needs’ assessment and gathering of data and focus group discussion with the teachers, the students, their parents and school administration before implementing the project. According to the results of these studies, the Association determined Capacity Building programs needed and implemented Educational Strategies, Principles of Comprehensive Development, Learning Difficulties, Life Skills”, in addition to the Capacity building of KG teachers of the school and some of the area schools as well. During the current school year, Takatof Association will continue the teachers’ capacity building programs and the awareness sessions for the students and their parents. Also a capacity building programs will be implemented for the BoTs, and the staff of the Mattareya Educational Directorate to ensure the sustainability of the project. Sustainability will also be ensured by training the teachers on Educational Strategies and manufacturing different educational tools suitable for active learning, empower them to include students of different intelligences and improve their academic performance, provide teachers with the skills to identify learning difficulties and how to deal with behavioral problems. As for the students, they will acquire life skills, morals & values and the will receive awareness sessions on violence, harassment and how to preserve the environment. Camps and fun days will also be implemented. The parents also will receive awareness sessions on how to bring up their children, sexual harassment and violence against children, and How to deal with the learning problems/academic challenges of their children. The school administration will receive capacity building on “Management and Leadership Skills” Training for the principal and school deputy of Hoda Shaarawi and other schools in Mattareya, and the school BOTs will receive a training on “School Resources Management” and initiatives.
From the structural side, the upgrade of the school has already started and as a result of the needs’ assessment, the Association will create space and activate all the activity rooms. Space for a resource room will be also be created for students with learning difficulties.
The event ended with a fruitful discussion between the attendees and mediated by Dr. Hossam Badrawi.
**This article has been produced with the financial assistance of the European Union and the German Government. The contents of this document are the sole responsibility of Takatof Association for Development and can under no circumstances be regarded as reflecting the position of the European Union or the German Government.”
Takatof Association for Development is proud to announce the start of its new project, “TOGETHER FOR ENHANCING OUR SCHOOL”, to upgrade Hoda Shaarawy Primary School in Mattareya. The project is implemented in cooperation with the Participatory Development Programme in Urban Areas/GIZ and funded by the European Union and the German Government.
Takatof Association for Development is proud to announce that we have become the first NGO in Egypt to receive the ISO 9001-2015 quality certification. Takatof has been one of the very few NGOs in Egypt to be “ ISO 9001:2008 ” certified since 2014.
Takatof embarked on upgrading Saft El Sharkeya Preparatory School, in four and a half months’ time, with a fund of LE 3 Million, of which(LE 2,516,000) funded by AlexBank and the remaining 15% contribution of the total costfrom Takatof. The total fund covered the physical upgrade, furnishings, supplies, and ongoing human development programs & services which includes a teachers’ capacity building program and the formation of a 43 mixed choir trained by Takatof music teacher. This upgrade brings the number of schools upgraded by Takatof in Beni Suef to 3 and the total upgrades to 23 schools.
The school was comprised of 3 buildings and is divided into 2 sections:
· The boys section with 189 students, 5 classrooms and 20 staff members (including teachers and administration).
· The girls section with 166 students, 4 classrooms and 18 staff members (including teachers and administration).
· In addition to 10 teachers assigned between the two sections.
After upgrade the school has now become one mixed school with one administration.
As a result of a needs’ assessment, Takatof was able to, not only redistribute the space available in the school, but also create rooms for the following activity rooms:
· Music Room
· Art Education Room
· Physical Education Hall
· Radio and Press Room
In Addition to:
· 3 New Classrooms
· Christian Religion Classroom
· Science Lab. Preparation Room
· Multi-Purpose Hall
· 2 Teachers’ Rooms
· Psychologist room
· Social Worker Room
· Secretary Room
· Mosque (Men/Women)
· Canteen
· Supplies Room
Also increasing the restrooms’ numbers
– from 4 to 6 restrooms for the boys
– from 4 to 5 for the girls
The Association was also able to upgrade and transform one classroom to adhere to the Special Needs’ Code; this in addition to the special needs’ restrooms.
The upgrade also included:
· Leveling the playground with the street level
· Rebuilding and reinforcing the corridors’ railings to ensure the students’ safety
· Reinforcing the staircase
· Reconstructing the school walls as they were dilapidated
· Establishing a side entrance for the students’ safety
· Equipping the playground with necessary sports’ needs (football/volley ball/basketball)
Our latest upgrade, Atf Afwah Primary School for boys in Wasta, Beni Suef Governorate has been inaugurated on 22/9/2016 by Eng. Sherif Habib, Governor of Beni Suef, H.E. Takehiro Kagawa, Ambassador of Japan and Dr. Hossam Badrawi, Chairman of Takatof Association for Development.
The upgrade was completed in a record (3) months’ time, through a protocol between Takatof and the Japanese Grant Assistance for Grassroots and Human Security Projects. The school cost L.E. 2,650,000 of which L.E. 2 million has been donated by the Grant which covered the physical upgrade, teachers’ capacity building and the students’ developmental and entertaining activities. Takatof contributed with 25% of the cost which covered furniture, and equipment and ongoing student development programs and medical services and the formation of a 33 boys choir trained by Takatof music teacher.
Atf Afwah Preparatory School for Boys, in Wasta, Beni Suef, consisting of 1 building, has been upgraded in cooperation with ABB for Electrical Industries and Takatof Association for Development. ABB has financed the upgrade of the School Building in addition to the science and multimedia labs., the social worker’s room situated in another building in addition to all lab. furnishings, educational equipment and school furniture as part of its corporate social responsibility with a total cost of 750,000 Egyptian Pounds.
It is worth mentioning that this is the second cooperation between Takatof and ABB after the KG building of El Kamal School in Gamaleya.
Nahdet Beni Suef Corporation contributed technically and financially in the upgrade of the infrastructure of the preparatory washrooms situated in a separate building and the primary school’s washrooms, with a cost of 150,000 Egyptian Pounds.
The school serves (258) students and (36) between administration, teachers and staff
As Takatof Association for Development carries out its development work based on needs’ assessment. Along with regular construction and renovation, Takatof re-allocates and uses the unused spaces which resulted in the following:
In addition to the following rooms:
The Association believes that the development process will not be completed without human development and the provision of various services. Therefore, according to needs assessment, a student’s awareness program for school maintenance will be conducted, to ensure its sustainability. It will also provide capacity building programs for the teachers