Five charities registered in the Isle of Man will receive a total of £473,000 though the Small Grants Scheme to support international development work.
The Small Grants Scheme aims to support Isle of Man registered charities to deliver international development projects, with funding given over a two-year period.
Applications for the 2021-23 funding period closed in July 2021, with 10 applications received and evaluated against the objectives of the grant.
The applications addressed a wide range of issues aligned to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, including reducing inequality, promoting good health and wellbeing, and providing clean water and sanitation.
The five successful applications reflect the full range of issues targeted by the scheme and include one building project, two people-based projects, and two environmental projects.
Cabinet Office Minister Kate Lord-Brennan MHK said:
'As a responsible nation, the Isle of Man has a role to play in helping to tackle pressing global issues; issues which will resonate with many people in our Island community. This money goes to local charities here in the Isle of Man to support their ongoing work to tackle poverty and to improve living standards and education in some of the world’s less developed countries.'
The five charities selected for funding are:
CAFOD (Catholic Agency for Overseas Development) will receive £96,986 to improve Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) services and facilities for vulnerable host communities and out of camp South Sudanese Refugees in Al Jabalian locality, White Nile State, Sudan.
Christian Aid will receive £100,000 for their project entitled ‘Improved Cookstoves in Burundi - A Cleaner Climate Initiative (Dukingire Igiti)’. The project will improve access to sustainable cooking methods by stimulating the production, purchase and use of improved cleaner energy cook stoves in Burundi.
Excellent Development will receive £82,868 to build sand dams in a project designed to restore degraded lands to reduce rural poverty in Ethiopia. Sand dams offer a sustainable rainwater harvesting technique, providing long-term water security.
Pahar Trust Nepal will receive £95,112 to build new earthquake-resilient education facilities in rural Nepal.
RNLI (Royal National Lifeboat Institute) will receive £97,746 towards their project in Bangladesh that aims to reduce drowning mortality and improve early childhood development of children in rural communities of Barishal Division.
