DEN-L trains 30 CSOs and five SGBV secretariats in grant management – ​​FrontPageAfrica

GANTA, Nimba County – The Development Education Network-Liberia (DEN-L) completed a two-day training on institutional capacity building in small grants management for 30 civil society organizations and five selected CSO secretariats against sexual and gender-based violence in Spotlight counties of Liberia including Montserrado, Grand Cape Mount, Lofa, Nimba and Grand Gedeh in Ganta, Nimba County.

According to DEN-L Program Director Peter S. Dolo, the small grants management training was part of an EU and UN Women funded Spotlight initiative aimed at eliminating all forms of violence in the workplace. towards women, girls and people facing intersecting forms of violence. violence.

“Each of the 30 CSOs is expected to benefit from US$5,000.00, while the five SGBV secretariats will benefit from US$12,000.00 each, bringing the total cost of the grant to US$210,000.00 for five months of implementation. work,” he said.

CSOs benefiting from the small grants program included nine women-led groups, eight youth-led groups, seven leaving no one behind and six other CSOs working on cross-cutting issues.

The DEN-L Program Manager also took the opportunity to highlight the main achievements of the program implemented by DEN-L under the EU/UN Spotlight Initiative since 2019.

According to him, DEN-L has mapped and documented more than 1,200 existing CSOs and CBOs, including networks, coalitions, women’s movements and marginalized groups in Spotlight counties; conducted a capacity needs assessment and strengthened the institutional capacity of over 300 CSOs with skills and knowledge in proposal writing, organizational development, gender, conflict management, advocacy and networking , social accountability mechanisms and institutional policy development), established CSO secretariats in each of the five Spotlight counties to coordinate the activities of CSOs working on gender-based violence (GBV) issues within the framework of the Spotlight program.

After the training process, DEN-L provided small grants to 25 selected CSOs along with logistical support (office equipment-desks, chairs, computers, projectors, cameras, sound systems, printers, generators, fans, recorders and motorcycles), for the CSO Secretariat to support their efforts in addressing Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) issues and respond more effectively to COVID-19 in Phase I of the program.

“We screened 30 CSOs from 55 organizations that applied for the Small Grant from the Five Flagship Counties and the purpose of this training is to orient grantees through the full grant cycle and ensure due diligence in implementation as well as reporting standards and compliance; Mr. Dolo told FrontPageAfrica.

The grant is intended to support CSOs in the five Spotlight counties to help address, report, raise awareness and track issues of sexual and gender-based violence in close collaboration with the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Welfare. Also speaking at the grant management training, Tamba Johnson, the representative of the National Civil Society Reference Group on the Spotlight Initiative, thanked DEN-L for the level of work done on the project. , in particular the provision of a small grant to help CSOs contribute immensely to the overall goal of Spotlight Globally.

The tough-talking representative of the national CSO reference group, Tamba, urged recipient CSOs to be punctual in filing their reports, adding that reports are essential.

“The better you do, the more you will have to report, the better the quality of your reports, the greater your chances of achieving something greater. Let transparency and accountability be the hallmark of our institution,” he added.

Meanwhile, heads of recipient institutions praised DEN-L for its knowledge and praised the EU and UN Spotlight Initiative for awarding the grant.

Mr. Dolo said that DEN-L, in collaboration with the EU and UN Women, implemented the first phase of the Spotlight initiative under pillar six (6), specifically supporting CSOs in the five counties. to contribute to the elimination of all forms of violence against women and girls (VAWG) and harmful traditional practices.

The DEN-L program manager concluded by challenging CSO representatives to take the training seriously and do their best during the implementation period of the small grant.