Small grants up to £60 000 have been used successfully to make worthwhile improvements in the lives of many living in the world’s most deprived areas.
This is now the fifth year of the Scottish Government’s International Development Small Grants Programme which is open to Scottish-based international development organisations working in Scottish Government priority countries: Malawi, Rwanda, Zambia, and Pakistan.
For example, a grant of only £52 000 was used by Cerebral Palsy Africa to improve teacher training and consequently the educational experience of children with CP.
The Chief Executive of Scotland’s International Development Alliance, said:
‘Grants available to smaller organisations make an incredible difference to hard-working groups in Scotland who deserve this extra boost for their projects, and will improve the lives and life chances of people facing hardship and lack of opportunity overseas.’
The following grants will be awarded as part of the 4th Small Grants Funding Round, to commence in 2017:
Projects
| Organisation | Country | Summary info | Award detail | Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | Total |
| Youth for Economic Justice | India, Madhya Pradesh | Through mentoring, partnership and skills transfer, Youth for Economic Justice helps local organisations in developing countries to effectively respond to economic exclusion of young people. This project will contribute to the economic empowerment of young women from minority Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes living in the Balaghat district of Madhya Pradesh, through enterprise development and financial inclusion, helping with business set-up and finance management. | For the “Business Women” project -building a roadmap for economic empowerment with marginalised young women residing in slum communities in Madhya Pradesh. | £20,000 | £20,000 | £20,000 | £60,000 |
| Balmore Trust | Malawi | The project aims to combat the adverse effects of climate change on rice farming by providing farmers with increased access to and better management of water resources in the Karonga area of Malawi. The plan is to install wells and pumps (solar and diesel) and supply water to 4,500 farmers who will be trained in the integrated use of ground and surface water and the maintenance of wells and pumps. The work will be carried out in conjunction with Strathclyde and Mzuzu Universities, as well as in partnership with the Kaporo Smallholder Farmers’ Association. | For the “Developing improved Management of water resources in Karonga” project in Malawi. | £21,300 | £22,700 | £15,750 | £59,750 |
| Cerebral Palsy Africa
|
Malawi | Children born with cerebral palsy and other disabilities can often manage in school, but many in Malawi are excluded from school because of the lack of early support. Fit for School is an early intervention programme designed to provide essential early support to young children with complex physical and learning disabilities (such as cerebral palsy) to enable them to be fit for school at 6 years of age and give them the best chance of remaining in school. | For the “Fit for School” project to support young children with disabilities into school in Malawi. | £30,524 | £18,989 | £10,038 | £59,551 |
| Malawi Fruits
|
Malawi | The “Inspiring Youth in Agriculture” project will provide training and support for young people to enable them to grow a variety of low input/high value crops; take the crops to local processing facilities; receive processed crops and then sell them both locally and outside their communities through contract markets. | For the “Inspiring Youth in Agriculture” project to promote farming business among young people in Malawi. | £17,800 | £15,600 | £11,400 | £44,800 |
| Big First Aid Project
|
Tanzania | This project aims to develop a more complete solution to the challenge of emergency health care in Tanzania by training taxi responders to an advanced level of first aid to enable them to treat casualties and transfer them to hospital quickly. | For the “First Aid for Everyone” project – a motorbike ambulance service for Northern Tanzania. | £14,440 | £21,989 | £21,830 | £58,259 |
| Lake Victoria Disabled Centre
|
Tanzania | Following a feasibility study in 2015, this project will develop a fully functioning prosthetics workshop where 3D printing will enable the creation of artificial limbs for children and adults in the Mara region on Tanzania.
|
For the “3D Printing of Prosthetics and Orthotics” project in Tanzania. | £21,470 | £16,400 | £19,800 | £57,670 |
| Twende Pamoja
|
Tanzania | This projects builds on a feasibility study in 2016 and will offer support to improve the ICT skills of teachers, and in turn pupils, in the Kilimanjaro region of Tanzania. It is estimated that over 200 teachers and 8,000 students will have connection with the project. | For the “ICT for Better Futures 2” project, working with 23 schools in Tanzania. | £23,460 | £17,340 | £18,340 | £59,140 |
| Friends of Chitambo
|
Zambia | The project aims to contribute to reducing mortality and morbidity due to common medical emergencies by developing and scaling-up a model of medical communication and support for ‘hard to reach’ clinic areas in Zambia. In addition, the project will create a Knowledge Broker network to source, summarise and communicate emergency healthcare information which will strengthen South/South support for point of care decision-making at district, national and regional level. | For the project focused on communication and decision support systems for emergency medical care in Chitambo District, Zambia. | £37,714 | £22,285 | – | £59,999 |
| Total | £459,169 |
https://news.gov.scot/news/big-impact-of-small-grants
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