Canada provides $74,000 to two NGOs in SVG

The High Commission of Canada has contributed more than Can$74,000 in funding to two non-governmental organizations in St Vincent and the Grenadines through the Canada Fund for Local Initiatives (CFLI).

Following an open call for proposals, the Canadian High Commission selected Equal Rights, Access and Opportunities SVG and the Orange Hill Development Organisation Agro-Processors Inc as two of its eight Eastern Caribbean CFLI projects for 2022-2023, a release from the Commission states.

Canada will provide Can$45,000 over two years to the Equal Rights, Access and Opportunities (ERAO) SVG, to implement their Menstrual Health Empowerment Project providing girls from communities affected by the eruptions of La Soufrière Volcano with greater access to basic menstruation and hygiene products and education.

Through a contribution of Can$29,200, the Canada Fund will support Orange Hill Development Organisation Agro-Processors Inc to purchase critical equipment to enhance agricultural production, boost food security, and create economic opportunities for rural women farmers and their families.

The Canada Fund for Local Initiatives is a programme designed to support small-scale, high-impact projects in developing countries that align with the Government of Canada’s thematic priority areas for engagement. the High Commission of Canada received proposals from civil society organizations across four eligible countries in the Eastern Caribbean, administering $300,000 in available funding.

Other successful 2022-2023 CFLI project proposals include Circle of Friends (Dominica); the East Dominica Children’s Federation; Ecobalance Inc. (Dominica); the Grenada Planned Parenthood Association; the Eastern Caribbean Alliance for Diversity and Equality (Saint Lucia); and Sacred Sports Foundation Inc (Saint Lucia).

These projects in SVG advance critical foreign policy priorities for Canada in the Caribbean, including gender equality, the empowerment of women and girls, and economic growth.

High Commissioner of Canada, Lilian Chatterjee noted that “St. Vincent and the Grenadines continues to recover from the devastating April, 2021 La Soufrière volcanic eruptions and the COVID-19 pandemic. Canada is proud to continue its support through the CFLI programme as local actors seek to support women and girls in the affected areas and rebuild the country’s agricultural sector in a more resilient and inclusive manner.

“Canada remains a committed partner to the people and Government of St. Vincent and the Grenadines.”