DUSHANBE
, June 23, Asia-Plus – The World Bank Tajikistan Country Office has announced the winners under its Small Grants Program in 2006.
According to information from the World Bank Dushanbe Office, focus and the purpose of the Small Grants Program are to seeds and supports activities that empower and enable citizens’ groups to take initiatives that enhance their role and influence over development outcomes. These activities strengthen mechanisms for inclusion, accountability, participation and partnership with public sector, civil society organizations, and the private sector.
The source says that this year, seventy five local NGOs submitted their project proposals under the program with only seven of them having been awarded grants ranging from US$3,000 to US$7,000. The Selection Committee comprised primarily of external experts representing international grant-making agencies and local NGOs, gave its preference to project proposals covering civic engagement activities with the disabled and other disadvantaged groups, relating to education and environment and development of charity activities among local Tajik businessmen.
Winner of the program are the following NGOs: Public Association of the Deaf, Blind and Orphans of in the Hamadoni district (Khatlon) with the primary objective of their project aimed at raising the legal awareness of the handicapped people living in the Kulob region on their civic rights through trainings, and publication and dissemination of information materials on the rights of handicapped people; Tajik Center for Socio-legal Support for Woman and Youth “Femida”, which aims to train 180 staff of Civil Registry Offices, Notary Offices and Women and Youth Affairs Committee on legal issues relating to registration of marriages and protection of women’s rights in marriage and divorce, in particular on enforcement of the Family Code article on marriage contracts; Public Association “Special Olympics” whose objective is to provide support and social rehabilitation to disabled and handicapped children through training of 60 teachers under the special program designed for teachers working with disabled children and organize sporting events for disabled children; Disabled Children Support Foundation “Neki” with their project aimed at integration of the disabled kids into the social life through their participation in painting courses, computer lessons and other social activities organized to develop and upgrade their skills and capabilities. Seminar for parents on the rights of disabled children is planned as well; Cultural Center “Kosai Davr” proposed an innovative project which would encourage social patronage and philanthropy practices and attitudes among Tajik business people for them to make their contribution into development of art, culture, medicine, and help the poor; Social Fund on “Civil Initiative for Internet Policy”; Public Association “EcoVakhsh”.
The World Bank Office in
Tajikistan
has been allocating grants to civil society organizations under the Small Grants Program since 2002 when the program was first launched in
Tajikistan
. Within five years of program activity in Tajikistan, the local NGOs and civil society organizations had received around US$156,000 in grants for a broad range of activities aimed at civic engagement of the most marginalized and vulnerable groups.
