S/GWI PROJECT PROPOSAL SUBMISSION - DOMINICA

UNCLAS BRIDGETOWN 000166 SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR WHA/CAR - KAREN JO MCISAAC E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PHUM KWMN KPAO AID CDC COM TRSY DO XL SUBJECT: S/GWI PROJECT PROPOSAL SUBMISSION - DOMINICA REF: 10 STATE 12531 ¶1. U.S. Embassy Bridgetown received a vigorous response to the U.S. Secretary of State's request for proposals under the "Women's Global Issues" small grants initiative. A total of 65 proposals were received by the early deadlines established by Embassies Bridgetown and Grenada, with at least an additional 30 turned away in order to allow for internal review and evaluation of those received by said deadlines. ¶2. Embassy Bridgetown is unique in that it is responsible for diplomatic activities in seven separate island nations: Antigua-Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada (which has a single American officer Embassy),St. Kitts-Nevis, St. Lucia, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Hence, seven (7) individual project proposals are being submitted separately under the auspices of the aforementioned grant program, which represent the best submitted from each nation with respect to the program's criteria as well as the Mission's Strategic Plan (MSP) objectives. In order to address the widest range of issues that complement program criteria and the MSP, the seven proposals can be grouped into the following categories: food security and economic opportunity (St. Kitts-Nevis and Dominica),democracy and political empowerment (St. Lucia),and gender-based violence (Antigua-Barbuda, Barbados, Grenada, St. Vincent and the Grenadines). In compliance with reftel instructions, which indicate a limitation of one submission per country, Embassy Bridgetown submits the following for Dominica. Dominica Organization: Dominica Organic Agricultural Movement (DOAM) Project Management: Vanessa Prevost, Executive Director Amount requested: $92,203.13 Objective: Training 45 women in organic farming techniques, civic education, and (business) leadership skills. 25 of these women will then be targeted for small micro-finance loans. Fifteen of these women will then go on to establish small, start up businesses in the agricultural products sector. DOAM is a past recipient of USAID funding, has a strong organizational structure, and successful track record of utilizing aid funds competently. HARDT