In August, the USAID’s Civil Society Engagement Program selected the winners of its Innovation and Challenge Grants Program. All selected projects aim to address challenges faced by both local communities and the Georgian society at large though citizen engagement.
Of as many as 166 applications, 14 proposals have been selected for funding and the selection reflects a diverse range of community interests and needs. Meet our grantees and their projects:
Khulo and its Perspectives. This initiative group works to engage the population in the review and discussion of the Master Plan of the Goderdzi Pass of the Khulo Municipality, and the detailed plans of the three territories falling within this area – Goderdzi Pass, Shkernali, and Beshumi resort.
Democratic Institutions Research Center (Platform Komentari). Research on the scale and causes of over-indebtedness and evictions in Georgia; development of a systemic vision on solutions based on the research findings.
Perky Octopus Atelier. The main goal of the project is to raise public awareness about the importance of children’s books during preschool years and to foster a demand for increased availability of high-quality, age-appropriate books in preschool institutions, especially in regions densely populated by ethnic minorities.
Youth for Access to Clean Water. This initiative group aims to help improve supply of quality drinking water to the villages in the Gori municipality along the so-called dividing line, and to strengthen the civic engagement of local youth.
Georgian Down Syndrome Association. The association’s project advocates for introduction of personal assistant services for people with disabilities throughout Georgia.
Academy of the Future. The project seeks to expand a network that brings together young people with passion for bringing change within their cities, universities, or communities. The project will promote civic engagement though creative ways.
Green Development Group Kera. The project aims to increase access to irrigation water for the population of Marneuli Municipality.
Union of Education Workers of Georgia. The project is about supporting and strengthening teachers, who will, in turn, strengthen the community of educators and become involved in developing policies related to salaries, pensions, healthcare, and other significant issues in the education sector.
Women’s Organization in Support of People with Disabilities. The project will create a support mechanism for persons with disabilities (PwD) living in the Tsalka Municipality, with a particular focus on children with disabilities. The project involves awareness-raising and engagement, provision of necessary services, and advocacy.
Initiiative Group – Pen Georgia. The project’s ambition is to help rethink the Soviet past through comprehensive examination of historical narratives and critical analysis of the modern-day disinformation campaigns.
Upper Svaneti Local Action Group (LAG). The project undertakes to raise awareness of road safety issues in the municipality of Mestia and to advocate for safer road infrastructure in this highland area.
Families against Discrimination. The project aspires to protect the basic rights of adults with autism by strengthening parent organizations and advocating for the continuous provision of necessary professional re/habilitation services to adults with autism.
Municipal Democracy Development Center. The project will monitor effectiveness of the state program on promotion of employment of socially vulnerable groups. The project will focus on five municipalities – Rustavi, Gori, Kharagauli, Ozurgeti, and Ninotsminda.
GirlzWave. The main goal of the project is to empower women and youth in Georgia by increasing their visibility and engagement in civic and political arenas.
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