The Minister of Communications and Information Technology Amr Talaat and the Minister of Social Solidarity Nivine El-Kabbag have witnessed the signing of a cooperation agreement between the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT) and the Ministry of Social Solidarity, for the technological development of social welfare institutions and orphanages, and the technological accessibility of Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) to the Ministry of Social Solidarity services.
The agreement provides for the technological accessibility of the official website of the Ministry of Social Solidarity for the use of PwDs, as well as the technological accessibility of all the Ministry of Social Solidarity services, to ease access of PwDs to them.
According to the agreement, MCIT will equip 150 training rooms inside the orphanages and social welfare institutions affiliated to the Ministry of Social Solidarity, by one room for each care home. MCIT will provide technical support through providing computers, projectors, printers, internal networks, and the necessary software for computer rooms. This is in addition to equipping those rooms with the necessary Assistive Technological (AT) software and applications to accommodate PwDs as needed, as well as building the capacities of their personnel in computer skills and AT applications, in addition to providing various computer training programs to upskill residents of these care homes.
For its part, the Ministry of Social Solidarity will help market the handcrafts made by PwDs, graduates of MCIT training programs. The agreement budget amounts to EGP 25 million.
The ICT Minister said that the agreement is a continuation of the productive cooperation between MCIT and the Ministry of Social Solidarity in different areas, to serve the different segments of society. This comes within the framework of one of the key pillars of MCIT strategy, with regards to its fulfillment of its social responsibility by harnessing ICT tools to serve the society, facilitating the lives of citizens and developing their skills, and harnessing AT according to global standards to create an inclusive society.
The cooperation aims to support the effective and multiple efforts of the Ministry of Social Solidarity to alleviate the suffering of the society’s most needy groups, qualify them for work and ensure their ability to be independent, earn a living and have a decent life.
The agreement stipulates that MCIT supplies 150 care homes affiliated to the Ministry of Social Solidarity with computer rooms. This is in addition to training girls, residents of these homes, to qualify them to join the labor market through the digital system, as many young people now seek to join this promising sector of work, Talaat added.
The two sides agreed to shorten the term of the agreement, from three to one year, with a new phase of work to start after that, including other orphanages and institutions.
The protocol comes within the framework of the digital transformation pursued by the Egyptian government, and supported by MCIT, in cooperation with all ministries. Digital transformation and data and procedures governance are of utmost importance to the political leadership, as well as to the Ministry of Solidarity, given its keenness to help the most vulnerable groups and pursuit to support digital transformation mechanisms, El-Kabbag said.
The Ministry of Social Solidarity attaches great importance to people who need social care the most, and PwDs. It also aims to provide equal opportunities for these groups, develop their capabilities and ensure their access to technology to achieve their best interest and qualify them for the labor market, said the Minister of Social Solidarity.
El-Kabbag also stated that the protocol helps achieve the Ministry’s objective of investing in people and enabling access to knowledge and technology, as providing digital transformation for vulnerable groups helps ease their access to services and develops their capabilities and skills, thus leading to their integration and communication with the society.
Moreover, the Minister of Social Solidarity highlighted that automation helps achieve an equal distribution of services and networking at the Ministry, from its general bureau to its social units. The development carried out by MCIT over the past years provided the new fiber connection lines, which is a breakthrough for facilitating communication and digital transformation.
She underlined that the protocol is a new step in the journey of cooperation with MCIT, including electronic payment through the Egyptian National Post Organization (ENPO), human resource development at the Ministry of Social Solidarity, the automation of and introducing technology at care homes, and the digital marketing of productive families’ products.
President Abdel Fattah el Sisi attaches great importance to the development of social welfare institutions, whether in terms of infrastructure and institutional development, or improving monitoring and follow-up systems and training human resources. He also directed for taking comprehensive care of children, in terms of education, psychology and health, to help enhance their capabilities and integrate them in general life.
The agreement was signed by the Director of Social Responsibility and Community Services at MCIT Noha Rabie, and the Head of the Central Department for Social Welfare at the Ministry of Social Solidarity Mona El Shabrawi. The signing ceremony was attended by the Head of the National Academy of Information Technology for Persons with Disabilities (NAID) Chairman AbdEl-Monem El-Sharkawy, the Director General of the Public Administration for Motherhood and Childhood Mahmoud Ibrahim, and the Director of the Rehabilitation Department at the Ministry of Social Solidarity Khalil Mohamed.
