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New USAID project offers technical assistance to NGOs
Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) that have been working to curb the transmission of HIV, are now getting technical assistance through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
GCSL Project staff members Leroy Adolphus Policy & Advocacy Officer Guyana Civil Society Leadership Project (USAID) Volunteer Youth Corps Inc., Brian Pertab Resource Mobalization officer, Goldie Scott CEO of VYC and Leeanna Allen the monitoring and evaluation officer during a meeting with Minister of Public Health Dr. George Norton (standing second from right).
The assistance and funding place them in a sustainable position, despite the reduction of HIV/AIDS awareness funding.
In 2010 the US Embassy had announced the scaling back of the USAID office. The move according to the US government was part of its worldwide strategy, in a tight budgetary environment, to be more efficient in the management of its aid resources.
As part of providing technical assistance to the NGOs, Volunteer Youth Corps Inc. (VYC), a non-profit NGO that has been in existence for 19 years, supporting the development of Guyana’s health and social sectors, is currently implementing a three-year Cooperative agreement through USAID for the project titled ‘Guyana Civil Society Leadership’ (GCSL).
The agreement, which commenced on June 12, last, falls under USAID development objective, “Public Health Response to HIV/AIDS Strengthened”.
In 1999, USAID began supporting a core of NGOs involved in HIV/AIDS activities in nine regions of Guyana. These NGOs formed the National Coordinating Committee (NCC) with responsibility for oversight and coordination, as well as monitoring project results.
Over the years, USAID’s support focused on organizational strengthening and technical capacity building, but did not address issues of sustainability and advocacy.
Under the funding agreement the GCSL project unit is now tasked with strengthening the NCC network, for greater impact and sustainability of the national HIV response, advocating effectively for critical issues and establishing formal partnerships with the Government of Guyana (GoG), private sector and other local and international agencies in order to promote an enabling environment for NGOs operation in Guyana.
Though the NCC has been in existence for over a decade and a half it was never institutionalised.
Recently, the NCC which has now been renamed, the National Coordinating Coalition Inc. was registered as a Not for Profit company.
The mission of the umbrella civil society organization is to strengthen and sustain the NCC and NGOs responding to health and social issues in Guyana.
While, traditionally its members have been working mostly on HIV/AIDS awareness, the NCC mandate has now been expanded to include Sexual Transmitted Infections (STIs), other health which is entail non-communicable diseases and social services.
According to the VYC’s Chief Executive Goldie Scott, the project unit provides technical assistance to the NCC on strengthening its capacities in sustainability, resource mobilisation and advocacy.
Recently, the NCC held a Strategic Planning and Resource Mobilisation Workshop which was aimed at engaging its members in drafting the organisation’s first strategic plan.
The unit has been engaging key stakeholders including meeting with the Minister of Public Health Dr. George Norton and the Director of the National AIDS Programme Secretariat Dr. Shanti Singh.
The GCSL project unit is looking to officially launch the project by the end of the first quarter of 2016.
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