America Funds Cape Verde
By Shout Africa News -PRAIA, — The United States African Development Foundation has committed new funds to serve marginalized communities in Cape Verde. The funding will benefit Associação das Mulheres Batucadeiras de Alto Gouveia (AMBAG) and Associação dos Trabalhadores para Defesa e Conservação da Biodiversidade (Biodiversidade). Both organizations face similar challenges to overcoming poverty.
After signing the grants, USADF Chairman Jack Leslie stated, “The land where these grantees live makes it impossible for them to grow food and has forced community members to engage in dangerous activities to support their livelihood. These grants will serve some of the most impoverished people in Cape Verde, investing in projects that will improve their standard of living.”
AMBAG is a community based organization located in the under-served communities of Porto Mosquito and Alto Gouveia, Ribeira Grande, located in Santos Domingo. The organization seeks to promote economic opportunities for the communities, especially its poorest members. Biodiversidade is a 150 member, 130 of whom are women, community based organization that promotes economic opportunities for youth, women, and the poor in Flamengos, Santa Catarina.
The areas where the grantees are located do not get enough rain to support agriculture, which has forced many of the residents to engage in sand harvesting, a dangerous and environmentally destructive practice. While the land is conducive to animal husbandry, community members lack the infrastructure, equipment, and veterinary support to raise animals on a viable scale. The proposed projects will combat poverty in the communities and the surrounding areas through distribution of chickens and pigs to 120 of the poorest households. Residents will secure higher incomes by selling eggs, milk, cheese, and meat, and will also have access to these products for their own consumption and nutrition.
Both grantees will receive a two year grant that will fund the purchase of small stock, construction of chicken coops and goat pens, vaccines and feed for the animals, equipment, and training.
USADF began programming in Cape Verde in 2003. Cape Verde’s current portfolio stands at twenty-two investment projects totaling more than $3.5 million.
The United States African Development Foundation (USADF) is a United States Government agency dedicated to expanding access to economic opportunities to the most marginalized populations in Africa.
Currently USADF operates in 20 African countries. Over the past 25 years, USADF has funded in excess of $200 million in African initiated and led development projects.
