EMpower US Board Awards Its Highest Amount Ever in Grants

Posted 02 August 2022 in EMpower News   |   Share

This summer, EMpower and its US Board approved $2,160,000 in 31 grants to grantee partners in emerging market countries. 

Highlights from this latest round of grants include:

• This summer grants docket is 21% bigger than the 2021 summer docket.
• We are excited to welcome four new grantee partners: Lefika La Phoesia and dlalanathi in South Africa, Enseña por Argentina in Argentina, and one partner in Turkey.
• We made six final grants to six long-time grantee partners: Mamelani Projects in South Africa; Centro Yanapanakusun in Peru; and Azad Foundation, Chintan Environmental Research and Action Group, Ibtada, and Saath Charitable Trust in India.

Below is a short summary of select grants that we are making:

Chehak Trust (Sahyog), India ($66,000 for 24 Months)

EMpower's third grant to Chehak Trust will enable 500 young people to develop critical thinking skills and undertake field-action projects to promote gender equity within their communities. The grant will also enable more than 100 adults to strengthen their capacities in gender-equitable parenting and support the scaling up of Chehak’s home-based library programme.

Azad Foundation, India ($90,000 for 12 Months)

EMpower's sunset grant to Azad Foundation will help the foundation expand its Men for Gender Justice programme in five new communities of Delhi, Jaipur, and Kolkota. Additionally, the grant will enable Azad Foundation to develop a peer network for a group of 30 young women focused on non-traditional livelihoods.

Chintan Environmental Research and Action Group, India ($101,000 for 24 Months) 

EMpower’s sunset grant to Chintan will enable the organisation to develop a curriculum that will integrate science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) and mental health resources for their “No Child in Trash” programme. The curriculum will also include a child protection strategy addressing the needs of children and young people from waste-picking communities.

Ibtada, India ($90,000 for 12 Months)

EMpower’s sunset grant to Ibtada will support organisational strengthening in two areas: building the capacity of staff trainers to deliver their STEM programme and improving and scaling their life-skills programme.  

Saath Charitable Trust ($115,000 for 24 Months)

EMpower's sunset grant to Saath will enable more than 1000 young people to access STEM-based learning and employability training in non-traditional livelihoods. These will be complemented by workshops on life skills and sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR). Saath will also scale its programmes by improving its existing monitoring and evaluation, undertaking a third-party programmes assessment, and enhancing the capacities of its middle management.

dlalanathi, South Africa ($30,000 for 12 Months)

EMpower's first grant to dlalanathi will support nearly 600 young people in improving their mental health, resilience, and well-being; increasing their knowledge and understanding of sexual and reproductive health and rights; and developing core life skills. In addition, the grant will support dlalanathi with succession planning and longer-term financial sustainability.

Gendes, Mexico ($10,000 for 24 Months) 

EMpower's fifth grant to Gendes will enable 240 young people to enhance their understanding of sexual and reproductive health and rights, gender equality, and gender-based violence prevention. The grant will ensure the sustainability of the Escuela de Buentrato model in four public schools in the municipality of Ecatepec by training 35 teachers to replicate the model. A portion of this grant will also strengthen Gendes’ institutional capacity. 

Instituto Precisa Ser/Vai na Web, Brazil ($80,000 for 24 Months)

EMpower’s second grant to Vai na Web will help 240 marginalised young people increase their employability prospects through life skills and vocational skills training, mentoring, and access to internships and job placement support. Vai na Web will reserve up to 60 spaces in its programme for graduates from three of EMpower’s other current grantee partners in Brazil: Redes da Maré, Onda Solidaria, and Abraço Campeão—helping to create a pathway of continued development for marginalised young people in Rio de Janeiro.

Centro Yanapanakusun, Peru ($100,000 for 24 Months)

EMpower's sunset grant to Yanapanakusun will support 545 young people from five public schools in Puno, Pucará, and Lurín to strengthen their knowledge of sexual and reproductive health and rights and the prevention of gender-based violence. The grant will also support the young people to improve their academic performance, and to hone their professional, technical, and employability skills. Programme participants will also strengthen their leadership and life skills by participating in community journalism and recreational activities, and by establishing a youth network.