Four community groups benefit from US self-help funds |08 February 2012

In the presence of the Liaison Unit of Non-governmental Organisation of Seychelles (Lungos) chairperson Bernard Elizabeth, representatives of the four civil society groups signed the grant agreements during a short ceremony at the Lungos headquarters last Friday.

The Anse Boileau secondary school sports club will get new sports equipment and gear to carry out extra-curricular activities. The grant agreement for this project was signed by the school’s head teacher, Mariette Mondon.
Anita Gardner, the chairperson for the Association for People with Hearing Impairment (Aphi), signed for the association to receive kitchen equipment, cooking utensils and training for deaf women to become entrepreneurs by producing snacks and fruit juices.

Two orphanages – Foyer de Nazareth and Foyer de La Providence – will be refurbished. The Foyer de Nazareth will be extended and will have its dormitory refurnished and roof redone.

The Foyer de La Providence will undergo a complete refurbishment with new toilets fitted and a new water reservoir installed.
The agreements for the two projects were jointly signed by Sister Françoise for Foyer de Nazareth and Sister Hortence for Foyer de La Providence.

Speaking just before the grantees signed their documents, the US embassy’s chargé d’affaires, Troy Fitrell, said it is always a great pleasure for him and is honoured to reward the wonderful work being done by different groups in the community to improve the lives of the most disadvantaged.

Mr Fitrell said on his next visit to Seychelles he will visit the various projects which he hopes will be well under way.
Speaking on behalf of all the grantees, Ms Mondon thanked the US embassy for recognising their projects and granting them the funds which she said will be put to very good use.

The four projects have come to a sum of US $35,000.
The US ambassador’s self-help programme is a grassroots assistance programme that responds to requests for financial help from small community-based projects that are initiated and administered at local level.
Last year seven local groups benefited from similar small grants.