Guyana benefits from IDB grant

Aug 25, 2008 News

The Cultural Center of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) has approved funding for a number of small scale projects to foster cultural development and education in various communities in twenty-six countries in Latin America and the Caribbean for the year 2008.

A total of forty-five projects have been earmarked in the countries selected.

In a release, the bank said that, “preference has been given to indigenous peoples, women, youth, community building, preservation of cultural heritage, and creative education in development through culture.” This is in keeping with the Center’s function of promoting cultural development by financing innovative projects in Latin America and the Caribbean that provide technical training in restoring traditions, preserving cultural heritage, and educating youths.

The project, known as “Opportunities for the Majority Initiative,” was launched in 2006 by president of the bank, Luis Alberto Moreno.

This year, 783 applications were received, and 225 were pre-selected by country offices. The final 45 were selected by the Selection Committee of the Cultural Center of the IDB.

Depending on the size and scale of the project, an amount, varying between US$3000 and US$7000, will be disbursed to each project.

GuyberNet, the global information and training centre of Guyana, will be this country’s beneficiary of the grant.

The fund will be used to train youths in information technology education here.
Participating as a partner, the IDB will guide, supervise, and monitor the institutions selected so as to ensure that the programme is effectively executed to realize optimum results.