SEVERAL community-based organisations benefited from a course on writing techniques for grant proposals held by the Social & Sustainable Development Division of the OECS Commission with support from the Caribbean Catastrophe Risk Insurance Facility (CCRIF) SPC.
The rationale for the workshop, held recently at the NEMO Headquarters in Kingstown, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, was based on the recognition of a deficiency in the quality of many proposals submitted for funding from community-based organisations, particularly in the areas of disaster risk reduction, environmental management and climate change.
These deficiencies impact the ability of community-based organisations to compete with some of the more established organisations from larger countries for available funding. The grant proposal writing workshop was, therefore, conceptualised to build the capacity of community groups and assist them in submitting proposals that stand a better chance of receiving funding to implement disaster risk reduction measures in their communities.
The workshop was also an opportunity for networking and for creating synergies between various community groups, organisations and public sector agencies.
The CCRIF SPC will continue to deliver assistance to at risk communities through two small grant projects aimed at developing disaster resilient works in the communities of Anse la Raye and Malgretoute, Micoud in Saint Lucia.