Muslim Aid has started its new program called Small Grants Delivery For CSOs (Civil Society Organisation) in Aceh last September the 6th 2007
In an effort to improve the capacity of local CSOs in Aceh, Muslim Aid, funded by United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Multi Donor Fund is coordinating forty local CSOs to implement the programmes. The grand program aims to create new income generating activities, basic social services and women empowerment programmes.
CSOs in Aceh are a diverse group comprising small, community-based organisations (CBOs), local groups affiliated with mass organisations (MOs), religious organisations, and non-governmental organisations including local groups and local branches of national and international groups. Past conditions have not been conducive to civil society development in Aceh, and since the Tsunami many groups have been formed. "It‘s time for CSOs in Aceh to play a bigger part in all spheres of public life, not only in relation to post-Tsunami community recovery but also in the broader efforts of reforming Aceh," said Mizanur Rahman, Programme Manager and Chief Technical Advisor for the program.
The goal of the project is to improve the socio-economical conditions of 35 communities/villages of 14 sub-districts in the districts of Banda Aceh, Aceh Besar, Aceh Utara, Pidie, Bireuen, Sabang and Aceh Tamiang. The program is going to be carried out by providing financial and technical supports through forty potential CSOs/local NGOs (LNGOs) with the intention of improving the capacity of the identified forty CSOs by providing the eight month hands-on experience.
Every CSO and LNGO will get a fund in the amount of USD 12,000 with a restriction of only 10% of the fund can be use for its operational needs. This aims to maximise the use of the fund for the intended beneficiaries, the local community. Every program concept designed by the CSOs must match the requirements demanded by UNDP and Muslim Aid. Muslim Aid and UNDP are targeting the effort to help the poor and marginalized community, Tsunami victims, conflict victims, communities which do not have access to basic health and education facilities, youth groups (orphans and drop outs), women groups (poor, unemployed and single parents), elderly people, the handicap and the homeless. The type of activities to be included in the program are basic education of private sector which was affected by Tsunami, ini
The fund provided by UNDP is to be used to help buy small-scale equipments, to do small-scale rehabilitations, to hold trainings, technical supports, to purchase education and school equipments, provide basic health, tools and ingredients for the production of traditional medicine. Muslim Aid and UNDP have designed the program to provide a sustainable economical environment for Tsunami and conflict victims which in the same time provide the opportunities for local CSOs to improve their capacities. "This is very urgent, considering that these local NGOs are going to hold the big responsibility to keep building Aceh in the future, once the international NGOs have left," said Mizanur.
Source: www.reliefweb.int (8 September 2007)
