The World Bank Office in Moldova Announced
the Winners of the 2007 Small Grants Program

News Release No. 5-06/06/MCO
Contacts: Slavian Gutu, 200706;
sgutu@worldbank.org

 

Chisinau, June 14. – The World Bank Country Office in Moldova had organized an Awarding Ceremony for the 2007 Small Grants Program (SmGP) this week. Besides the award itself, the results of implementing the projects awarded in 2006 have also been discussed.

The topic of this year’s SmGP focused on the “Civil Engagement of Rural Youth".The civil engagement, defined as the process of citizens interacting with public sector, civil society organizations and private sector to strengthen the mechanisms for inclusion, accountability and participation for improving and exerting an  impact on development outcomes, is a relatively new item in the social development agenda of the World Bank. The SmGP-07 focus on the Moldovan youth is in line with the conclusions and recommendations of a recent World Bank global report on youth and development, the World Development Report 2007: Development and the Next Generation, particularly in terms of civil participation of youth and the acknowledgement of young people as decision-makers.

The SmGP-07 further aimed at improving the civil active participation in the field, by encouraging partnerships between the territorial NGOs and those based in the capital city.

The SmGP-07 budget allocated to Moldova tallied up to US$35,000. Overall, there have been 48 project proposals submitted, of which 34 (71 per cent) from the NGOs outside the municipality of Chisinau. Following the assessment of applications by an expert committee, made up of representatives of donor community and civil society, 8 projects were finally approved for financing (17 per cent of the total number of projects submitted). The grant amounts provided this year range between US$2,150andUS$5,500. Two grants were awarded to NGOs from Chisinau, and 6 grants – to territorial NGOs, with the following geographic distribution by districts: Briceni, Rezina, Singerei, Şoldăneşti, Străşeni and the District of Chişinău.

The Youth Voices Group, which was created as a result of a World Bank initiative in Moldova, has had an important contribution to advertising and evaluating the SmGP-7.

The overall World Bank SmGP funding granted to Moldovan NGOs throughout 1997-2007 amounts to approximately US$365,000 spread across 92 projects, submitted by 95 NGOs (50 – national, and 45 – local). 

Attached hereto is the list of winning projects and NGOs.