Bishkek, May 30, 2007 – Today, the World Bank Country Office and the Eurasia Foundation of Central Asia (EFCA) announced the winners of the 2007 Small Grants Program competition in the Kyrgyz Republic. The World Bank’s Small Grants Program was established in the Kyrgyz Republic in 1996. The program supports initiatives to broaden the dialogue on socio-economic issues, develop civic partnerships, empower citizens, and engage marginalized and vulnerable groups in civic activities. “The Small Grants Program supports local civil society organizations” – says Roger J. Robinson, Country Manager in the Kyrgyz Republic. “Between 1996 and 2007 the World Bank awarded 112 small grants totaling US$ 280 thousand”. EFCA joined the World Bank in 2006 as a partner donor, and has awarded grants comprising more than $35 thousand.
In May 2006, EFCA signed an agreement with the World Bank to award grants through the Small Grants Program. EFCA funding is provided through its Open Door program, a mainstay of its grant making portfolio. Through its Open Door program, EFCA reviews all proposals that fit within one of its mandated focus areas - private enterprise development, community development, education and public administration. This year, applicants from all regions of the Kyrgyz Republic submitted a total of 219 proposals in the highly publicized Small Grants Program competition. In 2007, the sum total of grants, provided by both the World Bank and the Eurasia Foundation of Central Asia within this Program, made
US $ 61,700. Of the 21 projects, EFCA is funding seven. "We are happy to collaborate with the World Bank on its Small Grants Program, which considerably strengthens our joint aid. We hope that the Small Grants competition will both contribute to and stimulate the active participation of local NGOs in the development of civil society" - noted Shakirat Toktosunova, Executive Director of the Eurasia Foundation of Central Asia. The following NGOs were awarded grants as part the Small Grants Program: 1. Public Fund "Kojoy Serek" (Batken Oblast) – “Information campaign for poor communities - victims of natural disasters” Project
2. Public Fund “Fenomen” (Bishkek) – ”Speaking book” Project
3. Public Union “Bishkek Women’s Center” (Bishkek) – “Public control of the quality of state services delivered to the population” Project
4. Public Union "Bishkek Budget Group" (Bishkek) – “Citizen participation in budget-making” Project
5. Association of book publishers and disseminators (Bishkek) – “Information and knowledge in a comprehensible language” Project
6. Charity Association of Disabled People "Dostuk" (Bishkek) – “Strengthening the voice of the disabled” Project
7. Bishkek Committee for Civic Expertise (Bishkek) –"My vision of the world" Project
8. Kyrgyz Libraries' Information Consortium (Bishkek) – “Youth in Action” Project
9. Public Fund "Ayalzat" (Jalalabad oblast) – “Integration of orphan children in public life” Project
10. Public Fund “Prodvijenie” (“Advance”) (Issykkul oblast) – “Conserving natural resources through the use of alternative sources of energy” Project
11. Public Fund "Mai Bulak" (Issykkul oblast) – “Social integration of children and youth with special needs” Project
12. NGO “Bashat-M” (Issykkul oblast) – “Rural Library: an information center for the community” Project
13. Union of Young Leaders and Patriots “Jash-Danaker” (Naryn oblast) – “Sustainable development of the youth cooperatives of Naryn oblast” Project
14. NGO “Onor Ordosu” (Naryn oblast) – “Youth initiative” Project
15. NGO “Akbairak” (Naryn oblast) – “Development of disabled children and youth” Project
16. Public Fund of Disabled (Osh oblast) – “Community mobilization to support the disabled” Project
17. NGO “Blagodat” (Osh oblast) – “A world of your opportunities” Project
18. Public Union “Center for the Development of Civil Initiatives "Aykol" (Talas oblast) – “Youth in decision- making” Project
19. Public Fund "Aju-Ka" (Talas oblast) – “Social mobilization of rural youth” Project
20. Alliance of defenders of patients’ rights (Chui oblast) – “Informing the disabled in rural areas of Chui oblast of their rights to obtain quality medical aid"
21. Training and Development Center (Chui oblast) – “Youth for prevention of conflict”  | The World Bank is one of the largest sources of development assistance to the Kyrgyz Republic. Since 1992, the World Bank’s commitments to the country have totaled over US$757 million for 38 projects. The Kyrgyz Republic borrows from the World Bank on highly concessional terms – no interest, and only a 0.75% service charge. Credits are repayable in 40 years, including a 10-year grace period, while grants require no repayment. From 2003 to mid-2005, half of the World Bank’s assistance to the Kyrgyz Republic was in grant form. Effective July 2005, the World Bank provides all funding to the Kyrgyz Republic on a grant basis. For more information, please visit www.worldbank.org.kg
|  | The Eurasia Foundation of Central Asia (EFCA) was founded in 2005 as a locally-registered foundation, based in Bishkek, for the purpose of carrying on the work of the Eurasia Foundation (EF). EF is a privately managed non-profit organization, which has been working in Central Asia since 1993. In Central Asia, EF has to date invested more than $38 million to support local initiatives in community development, private enterprise, education, and public administration. For more information and for a list of the EFCA’s independent advisory board members, please visit http://www.efcentralasia.org.
|  | EFCA’s projects are made possible by the generous support of the American people through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The contents are the responsibility of the Eurasia Foundation of Central Asia and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government.
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