The Australian Government’s Direct Aid Program (DAP) is offering small grants for various community and developmental projects to local Community groups and local government organizations, NGOs and other entities engaged in development activities on a not-for-profit basis in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.
According to the Deputy High Commissioner at the Australian High commission in Trinidad and Tobago, Melissa Mitchell, funding will range from $14,000 to $21,000 USD.
Miss Mitchell while speaking on WEFM’s Activated Morning program listed programs four priority themes:
“We have four priority themes; those themes are: addressing community health challenges and non-communicable diseases, that’s the first one. Number two is promoting human rights. So that includes projects that empower women, empower youth, indigenous communities or people with a disability. Theme number three is improved sanitation and hygiene and access to safe water; and theme number four is promoting sustainable environmental practices; that could be protection of the coral reefs, sustainable fishing or sustainable agriculture,” she said.
The Deputy High Commissioner then listed some of the past projects in SVG that have received funding through the DAP program.
“So we had a project last year working with the Voice of the Disabled, and that was to provide persons with disabilities the opportunities to get better access to education and human development,” Mitchell said.
As part of that program ramps were installed and professional development and literacy areas were focused on.
The Deputy High Commissioner then proceeded to speak about another DAP funded project in SVG.
“We have a current project with the SVG beekeepers association, this is under our fourth theme, sustainable environmental practices, and it is replacing the fruit trees and other crops, plants that were destroyed by the volcanic eruption in 2021. Rebuilding an eco-system that is going to benefit the bees and the broader environment,” Mitchell said.
The Expression of Interest round for the Direct Aid Program DAP will launch on August 15th and will end on September 4th.
