BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – FUNDS made available to local organizations and community groups through the Global Environment Facility Small Grants Program (GEF SGP) have not been taken advantage of by local groups.
This is the ongoing complaint of the Head of the GEF SGP National Focal Group, Stephen Duggins.
The programme invites projects and ideas that would meet one or more of GEF’s three objectives: ensuring environmental sustainability, alleviating and reducing poverty and promoting capacity development in an enabling environment.
Through GEF’s Small Grants Programme, up to US $100 000 can be accessed to fund community projects, but Duggins stressed that local groups have not been making much headway in accessing the funds.
“Since we stepped up our public relations campaign in November [2009], people responded well. I had eight to 10 individuals and groups who had an interview and shared their ideas, but nobody has moved beyond the conceptualization stage,” the local representative reported.
Duggins explained that all interested groups should feel free to contact the local office with their project plans, noting that groups that do not have a full plan may still bring their ideas so that they can be assisted in putting together a proper one.
He encouraged groups to recognize the advantages of being able to fund projects and reassured them that the local organization would do all in its power to provide guidance until the project is funded.
“I am disappointed that none of the agricultural companies and cooperatives have come to access funding. Programmes that deal with marketing of their products, capacity building of their farmers and even handling pesticides for their farms can be very good projects.
“It makes me feel terrible. It makes me wonder if people are genuinely interested in such funding and in community projects,” Duggins added.
The National Focal Group works with community groups to encourage their projects with social, economic and environmental benefits. Interested groups can contact Duggins by calling (869) 663 8099.
