More than 20 volunteer mini-initiatives from the Vitebsk region have been selected to receive European grants

More than 20 volunteer mini-initiatives from the Vitebsk region have been selected to receive funding from the Danish Red Cross and the European Commission, as reported by Dmitry Rachkovsky, lead specialist of the regional organization of the Belarusian Red Cross Society.

The Vitebsk region is hosting another stage of the small grants competition within the project "Local Initiatives of Volunteer Groups in Remote Areas of Belarus" with the support of the Danish Red Cross and the European Commission. It has been implemented for the third year, with the current phase covering three regions: Mogilev, Brest, and Vitebsk. "From our region, 32 applications were submitted from almost every district. The coordination council selected the 15 best initiatives, as well as 7 more candidates for grants. All of them will be invited to a training on project management, which will take place in Braslav from November 13-15, to develop budgets. After that, the aforementioned seven candidates will be given a week to revise their applications based on the recommendations of the competition committee. If they succeed, they will also receive financial support," explained Dmitry Rachkovsky. Speaking about the initiatives, he noted that projects from rural areas were more encouraged. Each is aimed at solving pressing social problems in their communities. "The topics were very diverse: from HIV and tuberculosis prevention to supporting children with developmental disabilities. For example, I really liked a project from Braslav advocating for an accessible environment. Local volunteers want to conduct a study of the urban environment and its convenience for wheelchair users. They have already secured the support of local authorities and housing and communal services, which are ready to respond if problem areas are identified," added Dmitry Rachkovsky.

Shortly after the estimate for each mini-initiative is formed, they can expect to receive funding. It amounts to Br8 million per project, but the entity implementing it must also attract its own funds in the amount of at least half of this sum. In fact, from the beginning of December, the initiatives will begin to be implemented. The funded part will last for three months, but it is assumed that after the work on the projects is established, they will be continued on their own.

Ekaterina Knyazeva, BELTA.