Gardens instead
INAUGURATING the third phase of a multi-million pound development project in Zeinhom, Mrs Suzanne Mubarak promised joint commitment by state and civil society to raise the living standard of the neighbourhood.
On Sunday, Mrs Mubarak joined civil society figures and the government officials concerned in celebrating the completion of the second phase of the project in Zeinhom which for decades has been one of Cairo's most unattended and haphazardly-developed areas. "This should soon be the Zeinhom gardens neighbourhood rather than the Zeinhom shantytowns," Mrs Mubarak said, pledging equal determination to turn around other underdeveloped areas across the country.
The first phase of the project cost LE30 million which was spent on developing 11 feddans. The second phase of the project cost LE65 million, mostly civil society money spent on upgrading some 20 feddans. The development scheme includes setting up modern and high quality infrastructure as well as providing some 1,450 families, who have long lived in unsanitary shelters, with adequate housing.
The third stage will cost an estimated LE40 million.
The Zeinhom development project was launched over six years ago by Mrs Mubarak. It brings together the efforts of two leading non-governmental but highly influential bodies headed by Mrs Mubarak: the Egyptian Red Crescent Society and the Integrated Care Society. It has prompted the support and involvement of concerned government bodies including the Local Development Ministry.
In a short statement on the occasion, Mrs Mubarak stressed that Zeinhom and other similar projects that aim to provide housing for millions of Egyptian families who live on the outskirts of major cities like Cairo and Alexandria is crucial to efforts that aim at combating all kinds of social ailments including discrimination against women. In the absence of decent shelter, Mrs Mubarak said, it is difficult to expect individuals to embrace the concept of social modernisation.
Earlier last month, Mrs Mubarak gave the go-ahead to another major developmental project in Al-Maasara south of Cairo.
While not part of the presidential platform of President Hosni Mubarak, this particular project of Mrs Mubarak served as a reply of sorts to questions raised by many an opposition party and group regarding the ability of Mubarak's regime to provide an answer to the acute problem of shantytowns in Egypt.
There are no adequate figures on the number of shantytowns or their populations. Government figures suggest there are close to 1000 shantytowns across the country clustered mostly around Cairo, Giza and Alexandria. The number of Egyptians living in them range between four million to seven million.
Government officials have acknowledged the problem but stressed that without the help of civil society the state cannot embark on the task of rebuilding such huge neighbourhoods. Sociologists and criminologists have warned that it is these areas that spawn a good number of criminals and terrorists .
Shantytowns have been the subject of numerous debates in parliament and are considered a serious issue on the government's agenda.
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Al-Ahram Weekly Online : Located at: http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2005/758/eg2.htm