Minya is located 250 km south of Cairo in Upper Egypt. It has a total population of approximately 4 million, of which about 1 million are considered poor and an additional 180 000 ultra poor. The great majority (80%) live in rural areas where many households lack access to piped water (47%) and sanitation (12%). People in rural areas are mainly employed in agriculture (crops include sugar cane, cotton, potatoes, wheat, maize and grapes) and in lime stone and marble quarries. Income levels are in general low. Rural areas lack appropriate health facilities and sewage and garbage disposal facilities. Educational facilities are poor, and many children drop out of school for various reasons, including a lack of family financial resources and discrimination against girls. Customs and traditions that violate children’s rights, such as early marriage, child labor and female genital mutilation are prevalent. Community-based organizations whose work addresses these problems lack capacity in the areas of advocacy, networking and resource mobilization.