WB to provide grants to five Belarusian public organizations

MINSK, 13 May (BelTA) - Five projects of Belarusian public organizations were named winners of the contest by the World Bank Social Development Fund in 2011. These organizations will receive grants from $8,000 to $9,500 to implement their ideas, BelTA learned from the World Bank Office in Belarus. Among the winners is the Gomel regional public association of disabled persons with musculoskeletal system disabilities. It submitted the project “Towards a barrier-free environment" and suggested holding an awareness-raising campaign for a barrier-free environment for people in wheelchairs in Gomel, and creating a “Map of Accessibility of Gomel”. A grant will be awarded to the public association “Women for the revival of the Naroch Area”. It suggests organizing training courses in small business "Fundamentals of Entrepreneurship for Youth" for students of rural schools of Naroch region, which will result in youth business projects. Another project supported by the World Bank will be carried out by the Gomel Regional Charity Public Association "Education". It suggests creating the platform "Innovator of Frugality" in school No 40 of Gomel for students, teachers, parents, neighborhood residents and the city to teach them the skills of thrift and economy, shaping public culture of saving energy and resources. A grant will also be extended to the Brest regional branch of the public organization for birds’ protection, which offered to involve troubled teens and local residents in the effort to protect the habitats of rare species of dormice in Brest, Kobrin, and Malorita Districts. Apart from that, a local charity foundation “Future for the Youth” plans to utilize the grant and create a community center for young families support “Family Environment”. The center will run on the principles of sustainable development and environmental education. The center will operate as a permanent club of young parents and children, carry out educational programs for young parents and young people of reproductive age, and encourage the creation of favorable environment for sustainable upbringing and development of children. The World Bank Social Development Fund supports the campaigns to disseminate information in order to expand the rights and opportunities of the vulnerable groups of population, involve all stakeholders in the settlement of local problems, and establish closer partnerships between the key participants of the development process. Among such participants are government agencies, civil society organizations, multilateral and bilateral institutions, foundations and private sector. Some 63 projects to settle local problems have been presented at the contest held by the Word Bank Social Development Fund in Belarus contest in 2011. The annual program of the Social Development Fund for NGOs has been implemented in Belarus since 1999. The fund has supported 81 projects to the total of $500,000.

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