“Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Teach him to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime.”
The famous proverb has found a practical application on the banks of Egypt’s Nile, where the National Bank of Egypt (NBE) has gone a step further: providing fishermen not merely with the skills, but with the boats and equipment needed to turn those skills into a sustainable business.
On 7 October, NBE, in partnership with the Sonaa El Kheir Foundation for Development, delivered 100 fully equipped fishing boats to 100 fishermen in Luxor under the Marakeb El Rezk (Boats of Livelihood) initiative.
Each boat comes with a motor, fishing gear, nets and insulated containers to preserve catches. All equipment is provided free of charge, with priority given to experienced fishermen who lack their own vessels and support large families.
Luxor Governor Abdel Mottalib Emara welcomed the initiative, encouraging beneficiaries to increase production and pass their professional knowledge to younger generations.
Dina Abou Taleb, NBE’s Head of Marketing and Community Development, said the programme reflects the bank’s commitment to economic empowerment through productive assets rather than temporary financial assistance.
Hany Abdel Fattah, Chief Executive of Sonaa El Kheir, described the partnership as part of the foundation’s wider strategy to support vulnerable households through employment and income-generating opportunities.
The economic significance extends beyond the 100 boats. Enabling fishermen to own their equipment can reduce dependence on rented vessels, improve earning capacity and support local fish traders and their communities.
The programme also offers a practical model for corporate social responsibility: replacing one-off assistance with productive investment.
Its long-term success will depend on maintenance, operating costs and access to markets. Actual gains in household income have yet to be measured.
For Egypt’s banking sector, the initiative delivers a clear message: the most valuable form of social support may not be giving people money to survive, but equipping them to earn it.
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