Programme helps locals to help themselves

08 April 2018, 12:00AM

PR - The U.N.D.P. Global Environment Facility (G.E.F) Small Grants Programme (S.G.P.), established in 1992, promotes the goal of "thinking globally, acting locally” which emphasises ‘community action.’ 

Since then, the G.E.F-S.G.P. has assisted communities through funding and technical support for projects that reinforce sustainable development. 

This commitment by the U.N.D.P. and the G.E.F.-S.G.P., emphasises the significance of communities and their active engagement in restoring and conserving the environment for enhancing and maintaining people’s well-being and livelihoods.

The G.E.F-S.G.P. community approach expresses the essential link between the people’s needs and the environmental challenges which impede their needs and survival. For projects that restore and promote this vital link, the programme offers grants of up to 50,000 USD directly to local communities (including community-based organisations and other non-governmental groups) who are at risk due to their strong dependency on natural resources and the fragile ecosystems in which they live. 

The G.E.F-S.G.P. in Samoa, since its inception in 2013, has committed a total grant of over 3.8 million USD to support the implementation of 213 projects. For its sixth operational phase, the U.N.D.P. G.E.F.-S.G.P. office together with the National Steering Committee (N.S.C.), Technical Advisory Group (T.A.G.), and stakeholder partners will carry out the ‘call for proposals’ outreach workshops in Upolu and Savaii.

The primary purpose of the workshops is to familiarise, inform and build the capacity of applicants on the process for acquiring G.E.F-S.G.P. financial and technical assistance to address the environmental challenges in their communities. 

The Upolu workshop is on Tuesday 10th April 2018 at the T.A.T.T.E. Convention Centre (Sogi), and the Savaii workshop is on Thursday 11th April 2018 at the Apisa Hall (Salelologa). Both sessions are from 9 am to 12 pm.

According to the U.N.D.P. Resident Representative Ms. Simona Marinescu, “We hope that by the completion of these workshops, the participants would have gained a better understanding of the G.E.F.-S.G.P. operational phase six and the process of completing applications. Moreover, the ‘call for proposals outreach workshops’ is an excellent opportunity for the most vulnerable communities who have yet to receive support from the G.E.F.-S.G.P., to access and utilise the support from the programme.”

08 April 2018, 12:00AM
Samoa Observer

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