Before Eid… Misr El Kheir Restores Hope and Joy for 2,000 Families by Releasing Debtors

29 March 2026

Misr El Kheir Foundation announced the release of 2,000 male and female debtors during the holy month of Ramadan, as part of its efforts to bring joy and relief to their families ahead of Eid al-Fitr, and in conjunction with Mother’s Day celebrations.

Head of Social Solidarity Sector

Dr. Hanan El-Derbashi, Head of the Social Solidarity and Debtors Sector at Misr El Kheir Foundation, stated that the foundation is among the first and most prominent civil society organizations in Egypt to adopt the cause of indebted individuals and repay their debts. She noted that the foundation has successfully secured the release of 87,000 cases so far, as part of ongoing efforts to reduce the number of debtors in prisons.

She added that the Debtors Program was launched in 2010, and over the past sixteen years, the foundation has continued its efforts to release debtors while also working to “dry up the sources of debt” through precise study of social and legal conditions.

El-Derbashi emphasized that the foundation’s role is not limited to debt repayment alone, but extends to awareness, economic empowerment, and social support. The foundation has also launched the “enta al sanad ” initiative to provide psychological and social assistance to female debtors, with a focus on supporting the most vulnerable families across different governorates and transforming them into productive households.

One of the Eight Zakat Categories

She explained that a “debtor” refers to anyone unable to repay debts due to compelling circumstances, noting that debtors are one of the eight categories eligible for zakat as stated in verse 60 of Surah At-Tawbah.

She continued: “The program’s vision is based on implementing a well-structured procedural system that addresses all legal and social aspects, with the aim of helping the largest possible number of debtors in record time, reducing the flow of new debtors into prisons, lowering the number of cases before courts, and promoting a culture of financial inclusion.”

She pointed out that the issue of indebted individuals has a multi-dimensional impact that extends beyond the individual to the entire family, which explains the strong attention given by political leadership to eliminating this phenomenon in order to preserve social cohesion.

In conclusion, she noted that the issue affects both men and women across all governorates of Egypt, explaining that the causes of financial distress vary between economic factors (such as poorly planned small projects or high  medical expenses) and social factors (such as excessive marriage costs).