World Connect Grants

World Connect issues call for proposals in 10 countries for World Connect Grants Program! 

Through its World Connect Grants (WCG) Program, World Connect works directly with Community Organizations who identify solutions to challenges affecting the health and wellbeing of women and children in their communities. Community Organizations submit grant applications in partnership with Peace Corps Volunteers to turn their good ideas into reality. World Connect reviews, approves and funds projects twice a year with grant awards up to $2,500 for each WCG project. With the WCG Program, World Connect is creating a giving channel for mothers and other champions of women’s health and wellbeing through the support of Health Education, Nutrition, Reproductive Health, Health Services and HIV/AIDS Prevention projects. Grants go to changemakers in high need communities. The impact is direct, immediate and life changing.

Thanks to all who submitted proposals in the first round. The next application deadline is September 27, 2010.  World Connect is currently accepting proposals from Peace Corps Volunteers and Community Organizations in Belize, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Mali, Morocco, Peru, the Philippines and Rwanda. Application materials are available for download here.

Projects and social entrepreneurs receiving funding in the inaugural round of World Connect Grants include:

Women of Volcan Greenhouse & Nursery in Volcan, Costa Rica
Local women’s group to construct a greenhouse and nursery for fruit, vegetables, medicinal & ornamental plants. Project is designed to improve nutrition in a vitamin-deficient community and generate income for the women’s group.

Cooperative Chicken Farming in Lomas del Sol, Costa Rica
Local women’s association in Lomas del Sol to start a community poultry farm as a health improvement and income generation project. This project will also serve as a demonstration of government participation with collaboration from the Ministry of Agriculture & Farming.

Sewing for Success in Grifo Alto, Costa Rica
Grifo Alto Women for Progress Association, a legally registered group who has successfully implemented previous community improvement projects, to start a sewing collaborative. This project will provide women in a rural, resource-limited community with technical skills and the opportunity to obtain stable employment.

Family Development Project in Cambita, Dominican Republic
Local community organization to support income generation and personal finance training for mothers struggling to provide for their families in a disadvantaged community. Through this project, women will be trained in business development and management as well as health, cooking and civics.

Project Pilas in San Julian, El Savador
Community association to improve access to potable water for families. This project will support the construction of clean water storage containers, primarily to be used by women and children, that will improve sanitation and reduce water-borne illnesses.

Learning the A, Bee’s and C’s in Canton El Zapote, El Salvador
Women’s Collaborative with prior success developing a shampoo microenterprise to initiate bee-keeping venture in Canton El Zapote. This project will train women in bee keeping for income generation and support a family literacy program.

El Rebelde Chicken Project in San Vicente, El Salvador
Community Committee to support poultry microenterprise for highly motivated women in nutrition-deficient rural village. This project seeks to both improve nutrition and stimulate community economic development.

Healthy Madres: Nutrition & Baking Workshop in Sonsonate and Santa Ana, El Salvador
Rural Nutrition Center to develop nutrition intervention in five malnourished villages across El Salvador. This project will support the purchase of five energy-efficient stoves for five clinics as well as classes for women in nutrition, baking and infant care.

Artisinal Jams and Marmalades in Santa Cruz Michapa, El Salvador
Women’s Group in rural El Salvador to develop sustainable jam and marmalade business to combat poverty and unemployment. This project will support the development of an economic opportunity for women and improve gender equality and quality of life community-wide.

Rural Maternity Improvements in Kati, Mali
Rural community health center to install solar panels and running water to improve conditions for labor and delivery. This project will make the maternity ward of the health center more inviting and improve access to healthcare services for mothers and their newborns.

Rabbits for Health in Karambo, Rwanda
Karambo Health Center and the Access Project to supplement health services with community rabbit farm and nutrition program. This project will improve nutrition in a community of over 2,000 households, specifically targeting malnourished children under the age of five. Read a recent blog post about Rabbits for Health here!

Cooperative Moving Forward in the District of Kamonyi, Rwanda
Cooperative IGANABIKORWA (“working towards and doing activities” in the local language) to expand health and income generation projects in rural village. This project will support the development of fabric and soap microenterprises improving access to locally-made materials, increasing economic opportunities for women and improving community health.

“World Connect Grants was created to empower women around the world to improve the health and wellbeing of their families and communities,” said Sarah Henry, Executive Director of World Connect. “We want mothers and those who love them to raise money and awareness here in the U.S. and for women in communities worldwide to have the means to solve the problems they see around them every day. This program is about creating change through community action both here in the U.S. and abroad.”

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