Takaful (Solidarity) — Conditional Cash Transfer component of the Takaful and Karama Program (TKP)
Takaful ("Solidarity") is the conditional cash transfer component of Egypt's Takaful and Karama Program, run by the Ministry of Social Solidarity since January 2015 to support poor families with children. Eligible households receive a monthly cash transfer loaded onto a Meeza debit card, conditioned on children maintaining at least 80 percent school attendance and mothers/children attending required health checkups. Beneficiaries are identified through geographic targeting of high-poverty governorates plus a Proxy Means Test cross-checked against Egypt's Unified National Registry. As of mid-2026 roughly 2.53 million households are enrolled in Takaful specifically (out of about 4.6 million households across the combined Takaful and Karama program), with about 75 percent of registered household representatives being women. The program is funded primarily by the Egyptian government (about 90 percent of costs) with co-financing from World Bank (IBRD) loans totaling $900 million plus smaller UK and Nordic Trust Fund contributions.
Conditional cash transfer, largest social safety net in MENA, World Bank co-financed, Proxy Means Testing, women-centered delivery, Meeza debit card, Egypt, Upper Egypt poverty focus
Headquarters
- Organization Name
- Ministry of Social Solidarity, Government of Egypt
- City
- Giza
- State / Province
- Giza Governorate
- Country
- Egypt
Contact
- Website
- https://www.moss.gov.eg/
- Phone
- +20 2 3337 5467
- Social media links
Status & Funding
- Organization status
- Active
- Program status
- Active
- Application status
- Rolling
- Number of recipients
- 2,533,845
- Funding type
- Government
Benefits
- Currency Type
- Fiat
- Payment frequency
- Monthly
- Distribution Type
- Debit Card (Meeza smart card), ATM withdrawal, bank/post office cash-out
- Benefit details
Households receive a base monthly transfer (EGP 325–648 depending on number/age of supported children, per the 2023/2024 rate schedule following a 40% increase in 2023 and a further 15% increase in February 2024), plus per-child top-ups of roughly EGP 94 (under age 6), EGP 125 (primary school), EGP 156 (preparatory/lower-secondary school), EGP 219 (secondary school) and EGP 375 (university), capped at three supported children per household. All beneficiaries receive a Meeza debit card for ATM withdrawal or digital payment rather than in-person post office collection. Households are automatically linked to Egypt's food subsidy (ration card) system and universal health insurance, and may also access complementary 'cash-plus' interventions (FORSA economic inclusion, WFP's '1,000 Days' nutrition top-up, UNFPA family planning services, UNDP's 'Waii' awareness program).
Eligibility
Overview
- Eligibility details
Targets poor Egyptian families with children, identified first via geographic targeting of the highest-poverty governorates and districts (heavily concentrated in Upper Egypt) and then via a Proxy Means Test scored against national ID, asset, housing and demographic data cross-checked with Egypt's Unified National Registry. To remain enrolled, households must keep children in school at least 80 percent of the time, attend required maternal/child health-unit visits (at least three per year) and nutrition/hygiene awareness sessions; non-compliance can lead to benefit suspension. Cash is disbursed to the mother/female household member by default, and a 2024 update added a conditionality discouraging early marriage of daughters.
Demographics
- Minimum age
- 0
- Maximum age
- 18
Family
- Family Status
- Parent
- Number of dependents (minimum)
- 1
Citizenship
- Citizenship / immigration status
- Citizen
Geography
- Countries covered
- Egypt
- Residency of Target Geography
- Yes
Participation
- Research / data sharing
- Optional
- Complementary program enrollment required
- Automatically linked to Egypt's Food Subsidy (ration card) system and Universal Health Insurance, households may also be enrolled in complementary cash-plus interventions such as FORSA (economic inclusion/livelihoods), the WFP '1,000 Days' nutrition program, UNFPA's 'Two is Enough' family planning services, and UNDP's 'Waii' awareness program.
- Research / participation requirements
Independent impact evaluations were conducted by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) in 2018 (baseline/midline) and 2022 (endline/second-round), using household surveys of samples of Takaful beneficiary and comparison households, published via IFPRI and summarized by the World Bank. Findings showed increased household consumption (7.3–8.4%), improved diet quality, and higher school enrollment (about 9 percentage points for primary-age and 21 percentage points for preparatory-age children). These research surveys applied only to evaluation samples, not to the general beneficiary population, so participation in research is not a universal program requirement.
Application Process
- How to apply
Prospective beneficiaries visit their local Ministry of Social Solidarity social unit/office, complete an application form providing household income, composition and ID details, and submit required documents (national ID for both parents, children's birth certificates, a recent utility bill, and proof of school enrollment). Applications are cross-checked against Egypt's Unified National Registry and national ID database. Approved households receive a Meeza smart debit card to access their monthly transfer via ATMs, banks or authorized outlets. Inquiries and status checks can also be made through the dedicated Takaful and Karama hotline (19680) using the applicant's national ID number.
- Selection process
Selection uses a two-stage targeting method: first, Geographic Targeting identifies the poorest governorates and districts using national poverty maps (heavily concentrated in Upper Egypt); second, a Proxy Means Test (PMT) — a statistical formula built on Egypt's Household Income, Expenditure and Consumption Survey (HIECS) data — scores each applicant household's welfare level using asset, housing and demographic indicators, cross-verified against the Unified National Registry and national ID database. Households scoring below the poverty threshold are enrolled. A Grievance Redress Mechanism (call center and website) allows applicants to appeal decisions or file complaints.
