€188,000 for 16 projects in developing world

A motley mix of development and church-based organisations were awarded a combined total of €188,000 for 16 projects across the developing world this morning.

The grants form part of Malta’s official development assistance programme and will help fund a health centre in Malawi, education hostel in Cameroon and water conservation project in Kenya, among others.

Foreign minister Francis Zammit Dimech congratulated recipients for their humanitarian work and said the ministry was particularly keen on backing projects which roped in partner organisations in host countries.

Development experts have previously voiced concern about a lack of transparency in Malta’s ODA system, noting how applicants were not told on what criteria their proposals would be judged or provided with evaluation reports of the various projects at the end of each funding round.

Ministry director-general Jonathan Galea acknowledged these shortcomings but insisted the ministry was working towards rectifying them.

He said projects were assessed according to their relevance to Malta’s Overseas Development Policy, although he did not provide a specific breakdown of criteria weighting.

“We’re improving yearly, and we’re very interesting in introducing set criteria for applicants to refer to,” he said.

This year’s project selection board involved three external assessors, human rights lawyer Neil Falzon, gay rights activist Gabi Calleja and University lecturer Anna Khakee.

Asked about the ministry’s apparent failure to evaluate projects upon their completion, Dr Galea admitted that project evaluation was generally done on an “ad hoc basis”.

He said funding limitations meant evaluators could not travel to funded countries to assess projects.

“We’re looking at ways of getting international organisations already on the ground in such countries, such as the United Nations Development Programme, to help us evaluate. And this year we’ll be sending a member of our team to assess the Kenyan projects,” he said.

A national development conference, likely to be held over summer, would bring development organisations and officials together to take stock of Malta’s development policy and bring it up-to-date with existing development praxis, Dr Galea also announced.

In a statement later today, the ministry has said that although it was financially not feasible to send evaluators to each project country, an internal assessment of each project was always conducted.

Applicants were also obliged to provide documentation of their final project achievements.

It noted that project applications were screened and rated on three key criteria:

* their relevance to Malta’s development policy;

* the sustainability of projects through for example links with local partner organisations; and

* their potential impact on the beneficiary community.

List of projects

1.      Living Waters  Mission Team - €17,236

‘Water Supply Project in Ethiopia’   

This water project will give access to clean water and will improve the health of 3,000 people in Aman in South East Ethiopia.

2.      Signum Fidei - €18,971

‘Enlargement of a hostel reception area in Cameroon’       

This project aims to contribute to the improvement of education and increasing literacy rate as well as school attendance in Mbangassina area, with particular attention to the educational needs of girls.

3.      Mission Fund - €25,000

‘Education for All - an extension at a school in Bananja, Kenya’

The project consists of the construction of dormitories at a girls’ secondary school to be able to provide access to education to children from remote areas.

4.      St. Jeanne Antide Foundation - €10,495

‘Construction and operation of a Health Post in Malawi’

This project involves the construction of a Health Post, which will: a clinic for children under 5; maternity services; conducting vaccination campaigns; conducting general public sensitization meetings regarding health; conducting civic education on hygiene and prevention against diseases.

5.      KOPIN - €13,243

‘HIV/AIDS Care & Support, Ethiopia’ 

The funds will support the Ijaji HIV/AIDS Health Centre in: providing health services to persons living with HIV/AIDS; giving psychological and social support to persons affected; providing educational support and reducing stigma and discrimination.

6.      Kull Bniedem Ħija - €5,046

‘Youth Empowerment project, Kenya’ 

The project is to provide educational and financial support for orphans in the area of Kisumu, Kenya which has a high mortality rate of HIV/AIDs victims. 

7.      Integra Foundation - €12,000

‘Emergency health care for the disabled extreme poor in rural Guatemala’

The project will provide much needed assistance to disabled people to have access to emergency health care and will contribute to ease medical costs and improve the quality of their health care.

8.      Young Christian Workers - €6,818

‘Green House for food security and income generation in Kenya’                                

The green house will ensure a steady supply of adequate food and of the right nutritional value to school for children with disabilities. 

9.      Society of Jesus - €8,379

‘Electricity generator and Laboratory Equipment for St. Xavier’s University College, India’    

This project aims to remedy the lack of constant electricity supply by purchasing a 50KVA electricity generator to the college.

10.  YMCA - €7,583

‘Driving Youth Entrepreneurship in Kenya’

The objectives of the project include the mentoring of young people to strengthen and develop entrepreneurship opportunities.

11.  SOS Malta - €15,000

‘Small scale fish farming in Uganda’

The project will undertake the rearing of fresh water fish such as the Nile Tilapia and African Catfish in ponds and cages. The project will also provide skills to aquaculture farmers through training and demonstrations and an equipped laboratory unit for training and research will be constructed. 

12.  Inizjamed - €10,636

‘Providing sustainability for peace and support activities in Kenya’

The project aims to provide support and empower young women and young single mothers to develop professional skills so as to become self-reliant and independent; to provide educational resources and a space to learn to disadvantaged children and youth and to teachers operating in a highly challenging environment.

13.  Salesians of Don Bosco - €9,535                                         

‘Construction of a Dormitory in Ghana’     

The primary objective of the project is to offer abandoned and needy children, and babies the possibility of having a home, a family, love and affection, especially, food leading to the total development of the individual.

14.  Franciscan Sisters of the Heart of Jesus - €12,401

‘Construction of a primary school for street children in Nairobi, Kenya’

The project proposed involves the construction of classrooms, offices, a kitchen, toilets, a hall and will also provide access to running water which will provide children with an education, shelter and food.

15.  Right 2 Smile Foundation - €5,788                                                                                   

‘Day Care service to children in the slums of Kibera, Kenya’                      

The aim of this project is to provide good quality day care services to young children, 6 months to 3 years in the slums of Nairobi, thus allowing their mothers to study, work or seek employment during the week.

16.  Salesians Pastoral YouthService-SPYS - €10,000

‘Children’s Play Ground in Kenya’

The playgound will provide the physical, emotional and spiritual space for the children from the slum to grow into healthy, active citizens.