By : Bakinam Khaled – Mohamed ElKholy
Schneider Electric and Crédit Agricole Egypt Foundation have jointly announced the inauguration of community development projects in the villages of Shubra Qubala and Mit El Qasri in Menoufia Governorate, as per the MoU signed between the two parties. The partnership between Schneider Electric and Crédit Agricole Egypt Foundation aims at developing the Water, Energy, and Food Nexus in these villages by installing greenhouses, fishponds, chicken incubators, irrigation pumps, and a compost unit for recycling agricultural waste all powered by solar energy. These projects meet the commitments of both entities to achieve sustainable Development Goals, and are in line with Egypt’s Vision 2030 to achieve environmental sustainability, improve the life quality and living standards of Egyptian citizens, and empower women.
The inauguration ceremony was attended by Mr. Mohamed Moussa, Deputy Governor of Menoufia and Major General Emad Youssef, General Secretary of the Governorate on behalf of Major General Ibrahim Abu Limon, Governor of Menoufia; Mr. Pascal Furth, the Economic Attaché at the Embassy of France in Egypt; Sebastien Riez, Cluster President of Schneider Electric Northeast Africa & Levant; Jean-Pierre Trinelle, Chairman of Crédit Agricole Egypt Foundation for Development and Managing Director, Crédit Agricole Egypt. The event was also attended by members of the Foundation Board of Trustees, Schneider Electric’s team, Senior Officials from Menoufia Governorate, and representatives from the French Embassy.
Following the inauguration ceremony, the attendees visited all the projects including the greenhouses, fishpond, chicken incubators, and a compost unit for recycling agricultural waste, all powered by solar energy in Mit El Qasri village, in addition to a greenhouse fully operated by the women from the local community to ensure gender diversity and inclusion in these projects. Shubra Qubala projects featured three solar-powered irrigation pumps, which are utilized in irrigating and cultivating around 700 feddans and are expected to contribute to reducing the expenses resulting from using diesel fuel. These projects are projected to impact approximately 26,000 local communities’ residents and 700 farmers, in addition to increasing crops’ productivity, resulting in the cultivation of approximately 1,600 different plants, yielding a total crop output of 40 tons. Moreover, the chicken incubators are expected to produce 12,000 hatched eggs per year and the fish pond is projected to generate an annual fish yield of 3,000 fish. The adoption of this technology will have a positive impact on the environment, reducing carbon dioxide emissions by approximately 68 tons/year and saving up to 70% of water consumption.
Major General Ibrahim Abu Limon, Governor of Menoufia reiterated the commitment of the governorate to foster a strong partnership and closer coordination with the two entities and pump investments capitalizing on the unprecedented support from political leadership for investors. This is achieved through measures that facilitate the issuance of licenses for all projects for committed investors, tax and financial benefits to promote production and support small and medium enterprises as a key pillar of the national economy.
The Governor of Menoufia praised the community development projects in Shubra Qubala and Mit El Qasri village, emphasizing his unwavering support for all measures and projects that contribute to advancing development, creating job opportunities, and elevating the economic status of local citizens.
Sebastien Riez, Cluster President of Schneider Electric Northeast Africa & Levant, said: “Our involvement in community development projects began in 2019 when we initially signed the MoU with the Ministry of Social Solidarity to implement various initiatives in multiple villages. We are proud to continue this journey with the inauguration and operation of the community development projects in the villages of Shubra Qubala and Mit El Qasri in Menoufia governorate. These projects were successfully completed in a few months after signing the MoU with Crédit Agricole Egypt Foundation. This milestone reflects the essence of our culture and commitment to achieving sustainability through partnerships and expanding the use of clean energy sources and technology. Our ultimate goal is to create a positive impact on local communities, and we eagerly look forward to further joint cooperation to impact and benefit a greater number of individuals."
Jean-Pierre Trinelle, Chairman of Crédit Agricole Egypt Foundation for Development and Managing Director, Crédit Agricole Egypt said: “We have been pleased to provide the necessary funding in order to develop sustainable projects using clean technologies in both Qubala and Mit El Qasri in Menoufiya governorate. We are thrilled to witness the full operation of those projects only six months after signing the Memorandum of Understanding with Schneider Electric. Those projects reflect the dynamic synergy with Schneider Electric, and the great potential for impactful change through collaborative effort. Those projects reflect our commitment towards creating a greener future and helping improve people’s livelihoods in the local communities. We look forward to expanding our partnership to reach more villages in the future in alignment with Crédit Agricole Egypt’s ambition to better serve the society.”
