5 Grants totaling $246,000 Awarded in Fall UK Grants Meeting!

Posted 08 December 2020 in EMpower News   |   Share

The first grants meeting of the fiscal year took place in the UK on 3 December. 5 grants totalling $246,000 were approved by the Board, with EMpower funding covering $166,000, and the remaining $80,000 will be funded directly to grantees by a corporate supporter. Thank you to everyone who called in, especially to those who had never attended a grants meeting before!

The global pandemic has disrupted grantees’ original programming, as a response EMpower’s Program Staff continue to demonstrate trust, flexibility and support, allowing grantee partners to respond in thoughtful, longer term and strategic ways. As aresult in the shift in programming, timelines for ongoing grants have been
extended shifting partners into different grantmaking cycles. This is made evident by the number of grants approved during the meeting. As a funder we will continue to be reactive and receptive to the needs of our partners so that they can support the young people and communities in which they work during these unprecedented times. Here is a short summary of the approved grants that we are supporting:

NORSAAC - Location: Tamale, Northern Region, Ghana ($50,000 for 12 months): EMpower’s 7th grant to NORSAAC will further build their capacity and brand as one of the leading organisations working with women, children and young people in Ghana and underpin its advocacy work. NORSAAC is also proposing to utilise 50% of the grant to support three key posts (Director of Programmes; Head of Finance; Fundraising Manager) within the organisation.

Grantee Partner: Network of Women in Growth (NEWIG) - Location: Accra (Greater Accra Region) & Tefle (Volta Region), Ghana ($60,000 for 24 months): EMpower’s
9th grant to NEWIG will support the organization as it develops its strategic plan for the next five years, strengthens its fundraising capacity with the recruitment of a dedicated business development manager, and provide training for its staff. In addition, NEWIG is proposing

Grantee Partner: School of Hard Knocks (SOHK) - Location: Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa ($26,000 for 12 months): EMpower’s 1st grant to the School of Hard Knocks (SOHK) will help strengthen the resilience of 200 young people (14-19 years old of whom 50% girls) in four low or no fee-paying schools in Cape Town through rugby training and off-pitch training and counselling. To strengthen the support structure for the young people in the programme, SOHK will also engage their caregivers through weekly counselling as well as train key teachers in trauma awareness. Finally, SOHK will work with a consultant to strengthen the mental health aspect of the curriculum and train staff.

Grantee Partner: Isiqalo Foundation/Waves For Change (W4C) - Location: Muizenberg, Western Cape, South Africa ($80,000 for 24 months): EMpower’s 6th grant to Waves for Change will support ongoing work to build the evidentiary base of surf therapy’s impact with a view to securing its inclusion in the curricula of special ability schools and institutions working with young people in trouble with the law. The grant will also contribute towards increased scale by training trainers, implementing a policy and advocacy strategy and operationalizing gender and antiracism policies.

Grantee Partner: Asociación Educativa Kusi Kawsay - Location: Cusco, Peru ($30,000 for 12 months): EMpower’s 5th grant to Kusi Kawsay will help 45 indigenous girls and boys from rural Cusco, aged 10 to 17 (24 girls and 21 boys), access age-appropriate, comprehensive sexuality education and gender equity training and develop the skills they need to advocate for their sexual and reproductive rights with key community members. High adolescent pregnancy rates and lack of access to comprehensive sexuality education continue to be a challenge in Peru, particularly in rural and remote communities such as Pisac, where Kusi Kawsay is based. Unequal treatment and opportunities for women are considered “natural” and gender-based violence has increased during the COVID-19 lockdown. The grant will also help Kusi Kawsay assess options for strengthening its financial sustainability levels.

Read more about EMpower’s grantee partners here.