When Manale’s husband was unable to work, a microcredit from Christian Solidarity International (CSI) enabled her to buy a dairy cow and secure an income through the sale of milk. It also made it possible to proceed with the marriage of her eldest daughter.
Manale’s house is home to four families: her in-laws, two sisters-in-law with their households, and Manale, her husband and their four children. It’s a typical rural home in Upper Egypt. Everything – space, resources, responsibilities – is shared across generations. Here, marriage is an economic investment that involves the entire family.
For Manale, that fragile balance collapsed when her husband broke his leg in a work accident. As a result, the family’s income disappeared overnight. “My biggest worry was managing to continue supporting my children and securing their future,” she recalls.
Sale of calf pays for kitchen appliances
To cover daily expenses without having to pull her children out of school, Manale turned to CSI’s local partner in Upper Egypt. After assessing the family’s situation and Manale’s skills, the partner granted her a microcredit of 20,000 Egyptian pounds (about USD 400) to buy a cow. Manale grew up in a family of herders. She already knew what was involved.
The investment paid off. Soon after it was purchased, the cow gave birth to a calf. Manale was able to turn the cow’s milk into yogurt and cheese that she sold at the local market.
But it was the sale of the calf that was to turn the family’s fortunes around. With that money, Manale began buying what she needed for her eldest daughter Sherin’s wedding: a refrigerator, a washing machine, a stove, linens, dishware, and a gas cylinder. In rural communities in Upper Egypt, these goods are often the greatest expense a family faces when marrying off a daughter.
Society favours early marriage
Egyptian law bans marriage before the age of 18. But parents in Upper Egypt, including in Christian communities, often start preparing for their daughters’ marriages when they are much younger. Many girls leave school around age 14. Engagement often happens between 16 and 17, and marriage is celebrated once they come of age.
But economic considerations have to be taken into account in any marriage. The groom’s family is expected to provide living space, often a room within the family home. The bride’s family is expected to provide everything needed for the new household: appliances, tools, a trousseau. For families with limited resources, meeting these expectations requires great sacrifice and can be a constant source of worry.
It was the same for Sherin. Her fiancé works in Dubai and sends part of his income to his mother, who contributed to the wedding purchases. Manale speaks of Sherin’s future mother-in-law with genuine gratitude: “Without her help, I wouldn’t have managed.”
Behind that gratitude lies a worry shared by many families. When financial support also comes from the husband or his family, there’s a fear that this support could become, after marriage, a tool of control or pressure on the wife, especially during conflict. It’s a less visible vulnerability than material poverty, but one deeply rooted in economic and gender dynamics.
Empowering women
Sherin left school at 15. In conversation with CSI, she speaks little, often looking down. Asked what she knows about marriage, she answers with a single word: “Nothing.” She has never handled significant sums of money. Day to day, she has only a few dozen Egyptian pounds at her disposal.
Yet in three months, she will have to run a household, contribute to managing the family budget, and take on entirely new responsibilities. Like many young women in rural communities, she will enter married life without ever having had the chance to learn how to manage her own finances.
CSI’s local partner sees the same lack of skills in many other young brides.
The microcredit is an effective intervention for strengthening families’ livelihoods. But it can produce more lasting results when paired with financial literacy programmes and practical training in household budgeting, home economics, and small income-generating activities.
Building these skills means more autonomy for young women, and less economic vulnerability for the whole family.
Self-sustaining cycle
In Manale’s case, the CSI microcredit helped a family out of crisis.
The cow continues to produce milk that is turned into cheese and yogurt. It later gave birth to another calf that was sold. The result is a self-sustaining cycle.
The important thing, according to CSI’s consultant for projects in Egypt, is not the amount of credit but targeted support, and the continuing oversight of CSI’s local partner.
Thanks to the microcredit, Manale is able to provide for her children and look to the future with hope.
