EFG Hermes Foundation announced the completion of a milestone in its Project Al Makhzan poverty alleviation program in Qena made possible by an EGP 9 million contribution by the Kuwaiti Initiative Group for the Support of the Egyptian People, according to Minister of Social Solidarity Ghada Waly.

The newly launched facilities include the renovation and expansion of a local school, the construction of homes to accommodate 35 families, and a health care center. The newly developed healthcare facility is expected to serve 20,000 residents of Al Moheet and Al Makhzan villages. Additional developments in the pipeline include the construction of a semi-automated bakery with a  production capacity of 4,000 loaves per day.

The initiative is public-private partnership that aim to develop projects in underserved communities, added Waly. Local contractors have been hired for construction work to revive the economic activity within Al Makhzan village and its surroundings, according to Hanaa Helmy, EFG Hermes Foundation CEO.