Esna Farm and Community Centre
Esna , Upper Egypt
Our Community Connectors bus delivers a culturally safe and responsive community transport service in partnership with local community, service providers, and businesses. This vital initiative supports harm minimisation, community safety, and ensures vulnerable individuals and families can access essential services and safe spaces, including health services, the Sober Up Shelter or home.
Next steps
Installing solar panels for environmentally friendly use of renewable energy on the property in the near future.
There are plans for building farm houses for animals.
Constructing an accommodation and amenities building to serve underprivileged children between 9-12ys during the summer holiday months, and young girls aged between 12-25yrs during the winter months.
The children will come in groups for up to 4 days at a time. Their program is jam packed with fun games, learning and a gift pack.
The underprivileged girls, who have mostly slipped through the education system and cannot read or write, also come in groups and spend up to 4 days. Their intense program includes an introduction to reading and writing, learning a new skill in handmade items, health, wellbeing and hygiene, homemaking and management, and empowering them to think and make decisions for themselves.
What makes this project self-sustainable
Its produce will include dates, citrus fruit, vegetables, milk, cheese, ice cream, eggs, poultry and beef, most of which will be packaged and sold to the wider community.
The use of natural power of the sun via solar panels producing electricity is the main source of power on the property.
The proposed poultry house will support 30,000 chickens. The chickens and eggs will also generate income that supports the sustainability of Esna.
All the proceeds are used to cover the running costs of the property and the accommodation.
The animal waste is put back into the land to fertilise the crops.
The surplus helps fund other services that cannot sustain themselves, such as medical services and childcare centres that may charge very minimal fees, if any.
It will employ up to 200 workers. That means 200 families will have a regular income and can support themselves.
