2021 FAWCO Foundation Development Grant Nominations
The FAWCO Foundation is pleased to present the nominees for the 2021 Development Grants. Seventeen projects have been nominated in five categories with nine Development Grants. Please take the time to read the summaries before making your selections; as with every year, each nominee offers something special.
Be informed and let your club board know which nominations you feel strongly about. Clubs may use whatever method they wish to make their selections.
FAWCO Representatives or Club Presidents ONLY may submit the ballot in accordance with the policy set by their clubs.
Education There are three grants available.Your club should vote for ONLY THREE projects.
Project Name: Education, Training & Rehabilitation for girls
Location: Virar East, Maharashtra, India
Application Club's Length of Affiliation: 5 years
Parent Organization: VOICE (Voluntary Organization in Community Enterprises)
Website: www.voiceofchildren.org.in
Project Funding Breakdown:
|
2 teachers' salary |
$2,959 |
|
2 teachers' transportation |
$657 |
|
Teaching materials |
$384 |
|
TOTAL: |
$4000 |
Purpose of the Grant:
This project expects to work with 50 children from the Virar area, providing basic literacy classes so they do not miss out future educational opportunities. Mumbai alone, has over 250,000 children living on the streets. Amongst the most vulnerable, they are susceptible to abuse, exploitation and drug addictions. They are trapped in a cycle of poverty. For these children, education is the farthest thing on their minds. Yet, education is their best hope of living with dignity and respect. VOICE believes that the potential of every child is limited only by the education, love, and opportunities we can give them. By acquiring education, their entry into the labor force will be delayed, and children are likely to become more productive, earn more, have more control of their lives, and have a better future. The DG funds would allow us to hire more teachers and purchase materials so we can outreach all those children.
Project Name: Feeding Our School Children
Location: Antsiranana/Diego Suares, Madagascar
Application Club's Length of Affiliation: 10 years
Parent Organization: The Ursuline Sisters Teaching order based in Madagascar
Website: n/a
Project Funding Breakdown:
|
150 pupils x food to the value of $.25 cents x 106 days |
|
|
TOTAL: |
$4000 |
Purpose of the Grant:
The Madagascar School in Antsiranana/Diego Suarez is located in a poverty stricken area. No child who wants to attend is turned away, but few are able to pay the school fees. Many children suffer from hunger and malnutrition, and come to school on an empty stomach. A breakfast club helps, giving them some sustenance preventing lethargy and poor attention to their lessons. The school needs help with the food supplies and to begin a program of providing these children with extra nourishing food, fruit and vegetables to take home. This ensures the children have something to eat before bedtime and gives their families some economic respite. Feeding the children gives freedom from hunger, helps them to become strong and healthy, allows them to benefit from their education and get out of poverty. The DG funds would be used to provide 150 healthy, nutritious food rations per day for under-nourished pupils for 106 days.
Project Name: Feeding the Mind and Body at Rai Som School
Location: Fang District, Chiang Mai Province, Thailand
Application Club's Length of Affiliation: 3 years
Parent Organization: The Mirror Foundation, Chiang Rai, Terre Des Hommes, Germany
Websites: www.themirrorfoundation.org
www.gam-tdh.org/project-regions/southeast-asia.html
Project Funding Breakdown:
|
Education supplies |
$1000 |
|
Agricultural supplies |
$2000 |
|
Rice, other staples, school lunches |
$1000 |
|
TOTAL: |
$4000 |
Purpose of the Grant:
The Cultivation Project will address the need to provide food for students at Rai Som School, a privately-run school in Chiang Mai province, Thailand, which offers an integrated approach to improving the quality of life of rural hill tribe people. The disadvantaged, vulnerable hill tribe population face issues regarding citizenship; lack of infrastructure; and limited access to education and welfare. The DG funds would be used to establish the foundation of an agricultural project, providing equipment, seeds and plants so that fruit and vegetables can be grown for school meals, with excess produce taken home. This initiative will be significant in improving children’s health, imparting life skills, alleviating poverty and improving food security. Teaching valuable practical agricultural skills will lead to a better future for these migrant marginalized children. In addition, home-grown produce will provide vital nutrition, and the project will give the students an understanding of agriculture, cultivation methods, sustainable development and most importantly nourish them to then learn better in school.
Project Name: Sports for Health Teaching Curriculum for Afghan Girls
Location: Kabul, Afghanistan
Application Club's Length of Affiliation: Almost 2 years
Parent Organization: n/a
Website: www.ascendathletics.org
Project Funding Breakdown:
|
Booklet preparation: research, writing, layout, etc. |
$2500 |
|
Translations |
$500 |
|
Booklet printing |
$700 |
|
Instructor training |
$40 |
|
Poster distribution (all of Kabul) |
$60 |
|
Measuring impact |
$100 |
|
TOTAL: |
$4000 |
Purpose of the Grant:
Girls in Afghanistan lack ownership of their own bodies, and they suffer from high rates of depression and suicide. Physical fitness and sports improve well-being, but girls are largely excluded from these activities due to myths about female bodies. By addressing misconceptions about this and by teaching them via physical fitness training, we help girls grow into healthy women, creating a virtuous cycle, increasing benefits over time as more and more women are empowered to contribute to society on multiple levels. This project builds on the capabilities of our trainers and our new sports-for-health teaching curriculum—including classes and workshops on topics ranging from misconceptions about female health and bodies to well-being and self-care. The DG funds would help to expand our program and reach into the community by delivering a condensed curriculum in an illustrated booklet and poster in Dari that will offer health facts and demonstrate the benefits of athletic activity for girls.
Environment There is one grant available. Your club should vote for ONLY ONE project.
Project Name: Harvesting and Storing for a Better Living
Location: Palghar District, Maharashtra, India
Application Club's Length of Affiliation: 11 years
Parent Organization: Nandanvan Trust
Website: www.jesuitenmission.de/projekte/projekte-in-asien/indien/watershed-programm.html
Project Funding Breakdown:
|
Construction materials: stones, bricks, sand, cement, |
|
|
Iron sheet for roof, doors, windows, paint, labor |
$4750 |
|
Donation from nominating club |
($750) |
|
TOTAL: |
$4000 |
Purpose of the Grant:
The tribal families living in rural areas of Maharashtra, India, live in tiny one-room homes where they have limited space to store their harvested grains and seeds. Because of the lack of storage, these families are forced to sell their crops during the harvest season at a low price. The DG funds would finance a solidly constructed 40 m2 storage building that would allow 22 families (120 persons) to not only protect their harvest from bad weather and predators but also to obtain a minimum 20% increase in revenues by selling when demand is high. This increase in income will provide families with basic necessities and access to healthcare and education. A better living for the tribals will sustain the successful watershed program implemented by the Nandanvan Trust, which regreened and restored desertified land in the area, making possible the cultivation of grain crops as well as fruit and nut trees.
Global Issues There is one grant available. Your club should vote for ONLY ONE project.
Project Name: Empowering Refugee Women in Hamburg
Location: Hamburg, Germany
Application Club's Length of Affiliation: 5 years
Parent Organization: Hanseatic Help e.v.
Website: www.hanseatic-help.org
Project Funding Breakdown:
|
Teaching materials (up to date textbooks) |
$1000 |
|
Furniture (bookshelves with locked storage) |
$1200 |
|
Computer resources equipment (printer, wifi, used computer) |
$1300 |
|
Office supplies |
$500 |
|
TOTAL: |
$4000 |
Purpose of the Grant:
Close to 60% of refugees entering Germany today are women. Many are fleeing sexual violence, forced marriage, and “honor” killings, not to mention war and terrorism. Their path to integration is especially difficult. Hanseatic Help has brought a sense of community to refugee women through shared meals and volunteer work alongside local residents. A learning and support center was launched that will further empower these women. Volunteers will assist professionals in teaching basic computer and communication skills and help with bureaucratic applications for childcare, vocational schools, and work—filling the gap where government-sponsored institutions fail. The DG funds would support this center by funding needed equipment, books, furniture, and supplies. Up to 40 women will benefit from the center in the first year, improving their prospects for entering the job market or pursuing a career, thus allowing them to live independently and giving them a sense of purpose, responsibility, and community.
Project Name: Facility improvement at The Association of Assistance for Sexually Abused Women
Location: Barcelona, Spain
Application Club's Length of Affiliation: 21 years
Parent Organization:n/a
Website: www.aadas.org.es
Project Funding Breakdown:
|
2 AC/Heating units |
$2698 |
|
Installation |
$1302 |
|
TOTAL: |
$4000 |
Purpose of the Grant:
AADAS is a not for profit organization whose mission is to assist women who have been sexually assaulted or violated. Many of these victims are referred to AADAS by local authorities, and because of this, and at no cost to a victim, AADAS provides support, information, psychological assistance and legal advice. Sometimes the victim is afraid to come forward, so ADDAS must be sure to provide them with a comfortable and safe environment, so that they feel protected and cared for. In these new premises, there is a need for an AC/heating system, because until now they have been using table fans to keep cool in the summer and blankets in colder months to keep warm. The DG funds would be used to purchase two AC/heating units and to pay for the installation of the units.
Project Name: Healing through Art
Location: Beirut, Lebanon
Application Club's Length of Affiliation: 16 years
Parent Organization: n/a
Website: www.ayadinaassociation.org
Project Funding Breakdown:
|
Art therapist salary |
$2500 |
|
Two art teacher salaries |
$1200 |
|
Art supplies |
$300 |
|
TOTAL: |
$4000 |
Purpose of the Grant:
Following a very traumatic 2020, many of Ayadina’s young students (who come from poor families) exhibited symptoms of Post-traumatic stress. They survived the August 4th port blast, they’ve been locked up at home, and are experiencing their families struggling financially. The project is to incorporate art therapy methodologies in our visual arts classes (online or in person) to help the children heal through art. An art therapist will mentor two of our visual arts teachers who will share their knowledge with colleagues, ensuring project sustainability. The therapist will evaluate the students at the beginning of the project to identify core issues that need to be addressed. She will periodically assess the impact of the project on students throughout the year, with a final evaluation at the end. The DG funds would be used to pay the salaries of the art therapist and two visual art teachers, and to purchase art supplies.
Project Name: Online Outreach
Location: Cherut, Belgium
Application Club's Length of Affiliation: 4 years
Parent Organization: n/a
Website: www.cherutbelgium.com
Project Funding Breakdown:
|
Training 4 volunteers |
€320 |
|
4 cellphones |
€600 |
|
Telephone plan plus costs |
€480 |
|
2 laptop computers with special security scanner |
€1300 |
|
40 gift bags (with toiletries, notebook, candle, diary, etc.) |
€600 |
|
Total in euros |
€3300 |
|
TOTAL: |
$4000 |
Purpose of the Grant:
Cherut is an organization based in Antwerp, Belgium supporting girls and women in vulnerable situations associated with prostitution and human trafficking. “Cherut,” which means “freedom,” aims through “Online Outreach” to bring hope and choices for those wishing to leave prostitution. Four trained volunteers will meet on a regular basis to surf websites looking for signs of online trafficking. After identification, the team will connect with potential vulnerable girls and women through text message or WhatsApp, offering support and the assistance of Cherut’s “Route to Assistance,” a comprehensive method developed by the organization during years of working with individuals facing prostitution and/or trafficking. It includes a series of steps that guide women to recovery with the support of professionals and volunteers. The DG funds would allow Online Outreach to reach approximately 20 women per month (240 per year).
Project Name: Serve the City: Covid-19 Community Response
Location: Dublin, Ireland
Application Club's Length of Affiliation: 4 years
Parent Organization: Serve the City Dublin
Website: www.servethecity.ie
Project Funding Breakdown:
|
Personal protective equipment |
$250 |
|
Garda Vetting for Volunteers (required by law) |
$250 |
|
Food hampers |
$1500 |
|
Refugee and asylum seekers services |
|
|
Transport/mileage fees for events sponsored by STC |
$1000 |
|
Waste disposal charges for decluttering and garden maintenance projects |
$1000 |
|
TOTAL: |
$4000 |
Purpose of the Grant:
In 2020, Serve the City Dublin went beyond its previous activities of serving the practical needs of marginalized and vulnerable persons in the community. This population dramatically expanded with so many senior and handicapped individuals suddenly requiring assistance and STC provided services not anticipated by the government. The DG funds would allow continuation and expansion of these services to those in need, delivering hot meals, groceries, medication, pensions and food hampers to an increasing homeless population and distributing to families experiencing food poverty. Schools and individuals will be provided textbooks and other reading materials. Volunteers requiring mileage reimbursement can receive it as needed, PPE will be provided, social isolation will be reduced for those either medically at risk or in high risk living situations, such as Direct Provision centers. With STC’s expanding role in these extraordinary times, with the food bank’s recipients’ of 1114 families, this could grow to a level of several thousand individuals or families.
Health There is one grant available.Your club should vote for ONLY ONE project.
Project Name: Butterfly Breather
Location: Lothian, Scotland
Application Club's Length of Affiliation: 1 year, 2 months
Parent Organization: n/a
Website: www.mstc-lothian.org.uk
Project Funding Breakdown:
|
3-D Printer |
$3000 |
|
Print materials |
$1000 |
|
TOTAL: |
$4000 |
Purpose of the Grant:
This unique project, used by two of our members, will enhance the experiences and improve the health outcomes for people living with chronic neurological and other ill-nesses and disabilities. The DG funds would support the innovative work of developing and producing custom-fitted masks especially designed for oxygen treatment. Masks are connected to tubes inside a pressurized chamber supplying oxygen, in which Individuals sit for up to two hours at a time. Masks therefore need to be both effective and comfortable. There are currently no specific masks for this vital treatment. The adapted industrial masks used are heavy, painful, and difficult to use. The Butterfly Breather mask will be made of a more flexible material and will improve both the overall experience and the health benefits of oxygen treatment. To achieve our goal, we need to purchase a 3D printer and production materials.
Project Name: Psychological Support Project for Children
Location: Saida, Lebanon
Application Club's Length of Affiliation: 22 years
Parent Organization: n/a
Website: www.ahlouna.org
Project Funding Breakdown:
|
Psychomotor |
$1000 |
|
Psychologist |
$1000 |
|
Speech therapist |
$1000 |
|
Special educator |
$1000 |
|
TOTAL: |
$4000 |
Purpose of the Grant:
This project will offer 80 developmentally disabled children services to help them overcome social, psychological, physical, and mental challenges. A specialized team of certified special needs and psychological professionals will execute the project. Lebanon is on the verge of economic collapse while amid a pandemic. Due to mounting financial difficulties, Ahlouna has had to put the Psychological Support Project on hold, exacerbating already challenging circumstances for developmentally disabled children and their families. The DG funds would allow Ahlouna to resume psychological support to individuals and equip beneficiaries and families with resources to overcome their challenges. An indirect impact of the grant would mean Ahlouna will be able to continue food distribution and other social welfare programs with the funds that would otherwise have gone to the Psychological Support Project. The DG funds would be used to pay the salaries of psychological professionals: social worker, speech therapist, special educator, and psycho-motor therapist.
Project Name: Support Group for Anglophones Touched by Cancer
Location: Paris, France
Application Club's Length of Affiliation: 5 years
Parent Organization: Cancer Support France
Website: www.cancersupportfrance.org
Project Funding Breakdown:
|
Space rental and honorarium for facilitator |
$3526 |
|
Supplies: Coffee maker, kettle, coffee, tea, milk, water, sugar, snacks, cups, napkins, garbage bags, etc. |
$474 |
|
TOTAL: |
$4000 |
Purpose of the Grant:
Cancer is a brutal and lonely disease. Even surrounded by family, friends and Cancer Counselors our clients often feel isolated. The one-on-one support provided by Cancer Support France is invaluable, talking with people in situations similar to theirs is helpful and can be healing. The intention of this project is to create a monthly support group for Anglophones who have been touched by cancer. There is nothing resembling this in the Paris region, and we receive queries for it regularly. We know that a sense of community can be healing and comforting. The DG funds would permit us to rent appropriate space for the group for one year, hire a facilitator and provide a nourishing and comfortable environment for our clients.
Human Rights There are three grants available. Your club should vote for ONLY THREE projects.
Project Name: A Helping Hand to Victims of Human Trafficking in Torino
Location: Torino, Italy
Application Club's Length of Affiliation: 3 1/2 years
Parent Organization: n/a
Website(s): www.istitutoalfiericarru.it
Project Funding Breakdown:
|
12 month budget for 2 women |
$4000 |
|
TOTAL: |
$4000 |
Purpose of the Grant:
Nigerian women are trafficked to Italy and forced into prostitution. A growing number of these women are facing incredible hardship especially during recent lockdown periods. Some manage to escape their situation and are then faced with building a new life in a foreign country. To start building this new life trafficked women need safe shelter to enable them to start or continue an education which should provide them with the skills to become independent and integrate into their new surroundings. One place of safe shelter is provided by the Instituto Alfieri Carru in Torino. The DG funds would provide financial assistance for housing, allowing the women to focus on schooling and training in job-relevant skills as well as opportunities for cultural integration for two trafficked Nigeran women.
Project Name: Potatoes and Guayule Cultivation: Re-knitting the Social Fiber in Rural South Africa: A Covid-19 women-inspired social reconstruction project
Location: Bira, Eastern Cape, South Africa
Application Club's Length of Affiliation: 3 years
Parent Organization: n/a
Website: n/a
Project Funding Breakdown:
|
Field site fencing |
$500 |
|
Rental of land preparation equipment |
$500 |
|
Purchase of small equipment and safety clothing |
$400 |
|
Purchase of seeds/cultivars |
$1000 |
|
Fertilizer and pest management |
$600 |
|
Labor (wages for farm women, 4 months planting) |
$1000 |
|
TOTAL: |
$4000 |
Purpose of the Grant:
Bira is an impoverished village in the Eastern Cape, one of South Africa’s poorest provinces. Currently the Covid-19 pandemic is hitting black women and children disproportionately harder than any other population group in South Africa. Rural communities depend on money sent home from the cities, but the pandemic has resulted in a loss of jobs and money to feed families. Bira women have already been planting guayule and harvesting seeds, but food security is more urgent now. Potatoes are an easy crop to produce. The DG funds would permit the purchase of cultivars, fertilizer, pest management, small equipment, fencing for the fields, plus rental of land preparation equipment, work, food and training to local women. They will be trained to produce potatoes (as organically as possible) to feed their families. Any excess potatoes can be sold in local markets, providing cash to buy other food products. The project addresses at least five SDG’s (#1,#2,#5,#8,#10).
Project Name: Providing support for victims of prostitution and human trafficking for sexual exploitation
Location: Hérault County, France
Application Club's Length of Affiliation: 2 years
Parent Organization: Mouvement du Nid National
Website: www.mouvementdunid.org
Project Funding Breakdown:
|
Civil status and passports for 10 people |
$2500 |
|
Intensive French as a foreign language course for 8 people |
$1500 |
|
TOTAL: |
$4000 |
Purpose of the Grant:
The Hérault (France) chapter of the Mouvement du Nid Association works with victims of prostitution and human trafficking for sexual exploitation in order to help them rebuild their lives, exercise their legal rights, access healthcare and trauma recovery, gain autonomy, learn French, sustainably exit prostitution if and when they are ready, build new careers, improve their self-image and sense of self-worth. The project addresses the harsh and often disastrous realities that victims of prostitution face:multiple traumas, fear for physical safety, social isolation, nonexistent self-confidence, language barriers, and lack of access to basic rights —by working closely with victims. The DG funds would be used by Mouvement du Nid to assist the victims in legalizing their presence in France, by helping them obtain residency permits and passports, and improve their French language skills, both of which are prerequisites to gainful employment and integration into French society.
Project Name: Second Chance
Location: Casablanca, Morocco
Application Club's Length of Affiliation: 3 years
Parent Organization: n/a
Website: www.relais.ma
Project Funding Breakdown:
|
Integration agent salary |
$1600 |
|
Coaching |
$1400 |
|
Equipment |
$2000 |
|
TOTAL: |
$4000 |
Purpose of the Grant:
The 2020 state of health emergency has engendered a socio-economic crisis that was harshly felt among the former prisoners who had benefited from the association's training and support programs. Opportunities for employment were lost as a result of the crisis, exposing them to the risks of recidivism bringing them back to prison. The DG funds would give 20 candidates the opportunity to relaunch individual projects within the framework of self-employment and entrepreneurship aimed at capitalizing on the efforts undertaken previously. The budget will be used to finance coaching workshops for the development of individual projects and support by an integration agent.
The temporary recruitment of a social worker and integration officer dedicated to this project will make it possible to better organize efforts aimed at fulfilling these commitments. The expertise of 15 years of working with the prison population has given Relais a good knowledge of the specific characteristics and needs in the prison and post-prison phases.
