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Africa: 9

Name of Organization: Breakthrough Club of Sedgwick County
Location: Wichita, KS

Subject: Improving mental health service in Kenya

This grant supports the Breakthrough Club's efforts to improve mental health services in both Kenya and the United States through needs analysis, workshops, and project collaboration. Six Kenyans are visiting the United States for two weeks, and six Americans are traveling in Kenya for two weeks. Each group is visiting mental health service organizations and conducting projects in both countries. Breakthrough’s interactive website facilitates communication among participants in this program, and with related organizations worldwide.

Country(ies): Kenya
Region: Africa
U.S. State: KS
Theme(s): Democracy & Governance

Name of Organization: Iowa Resource for International Service (IRIS, Inc.)
Location: Ames, IA

Subject: Building women’s leadership to strengthen democracy in Nigeria

This grant is strengthening the political role of women in Nigeria through workshops and internships focused on the Bauchi, Kaduna, Plateau, and Sokoto States. The project entails the travel of two groups of six Nigerian women to the United States for six weeks, and two groups of six Americans, plus a planning delegation, to Nigeria for three weeks of activities. Women’s Leadership Centers are planned for development in all four Nigerian target states, and the Nigerian participants are being offered small grants to design leadership training projects to implement in their local communities.

Country(ies): Nigeria
Region: Africa
U.S. State: IA
Theme(s): Democracy & Governance, Women

Name of Organization: Meridian International Center
Location: Washington, DC

Subject: Empowering women entrepreneurs in South Africa

This grant supports the travel of 12 aspiring businesswomen from South Africa to the United States for three weeks of training accompanied by a South African government official responsible for entrepreneurial programs. Approximately five months later, six American specialists in successful business practices travel to South Africa for two weeks to mentor the South African participants and conduct workshops for a wider audience.

Country(ies): South Africa
Region: Africa
Theme(s): Business, Women

Name of Organization: Michigan State University
Location: East Lansing, Michigan

Subject: Strengthening civil society through inter-religious dialogue

This project is designed to engage Malian and American leaders in issues of faith and community that can contribute to strengthening of civil society in Mali. Two delegations of 12 Malian religious and community leaders and university faculty each travel to the United States for three weeks to explore how Islam and religious education practices in the United States encourage tolerance, respect, collective dialogue and public service while encouraging diverse communities to work together. Two delegations of American religious, community and university leaders each travel to Mali for 10 days of similar study, and two delegations of two MSU staff also travel to Mali for planning and managing purposes.

Country(ies): Mali
Region: Africa
U.S. State: MI
Theme(s): Faith & Community

Name of Organization: Middlesex Community College
Location: Lowell, MA

Subject: Building civic engagement among youth in Soweto

Under this grant, Middlesex Community College is conducting exchanges to educate teachers, recreation staff, and community workers from Soweto, South Africa, in communication, counseling, and civic engagement strategies with the goal of increasing the number of youth who complete their education and become active in their communities. Travel consists of twelve South Africans to the United States for one month, and six Americans to South Africa for two weeks. Participants conduct both individual and collaborative projects aimed at fostering civic engagement and grassroots activism, particularly among young people.

Country(ies): South Africa
Region: Africa
U.S. State: MA
Theme(s): Democracy & Governance, Youth

Name of Organization: Mississippi Consortium for International Development (MCID)
Location: Jackson, MS

Subject: Fostering economic growth to strengthen democracy in Nigeria

This grant is assisting MCID to build the capacity of the Centre for Entrepreneurship & Social Development, a new non-profit organization in Nigeria committed to entrepreneurial training for women and youth. The project focuses on the states of Kaduna and Nassarawa. At least eight Nigerians are traveling to the United States for a 28-day exchange program, comprising site visits, seminars, and job shadowing. A similar number of Americans are traveling to Nigeria for 20 days to lead sessions in agribusiness development and microenterprise management.

Country(ies): Nigeria
Region: Africa
U.S. State: MS
Theme(s): Business, Women and Youth

Name of Organization: National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL)
Subject: Washington, DC

Location: Improving awareness of women’s issues and women’s effective participation in government in South Africa

This grant supports a program to raise awareness of women’s issues and to enhance the professional skills for initiating legislation of women legislators in South Africa and the United States. Twelve South African women legislators are visiting the United States for three weeks to study the environment in which American women legislators work in Washington, DC, Maryland, Arizona, and Washington State, followed by the travel of twelve U.S. women state legislators to South Africa to work with three provincial legislatures and the National Assembly. Finally, a five-day workshop involving all of the U.S. and South African participants is being held in South Africa, during which the women learn more about advocacy groups and civil society organizations, and are welcomed into NCSL’s Women’s Legislative Network, a forum for women legislators at both the national and state level.

Country(ies): South Africa
Region: Africa
U.S. State: DC
Theme(s): Democracy & Governance, Women

Name of Organization: University of Georgia
Location: Athens, Georgia

Subject: Empowering Maasai women to participate in civic affairs

This grant supports the University of Georgia’s International Center for Democratic Governance in empowering Maasai women from Kenya’s Rift Valley with the skills and organizational capabilities to participate in public discussions and policy-making that strengthens their roles in civil society. Twenty-eight Maasai women are participating in three weeks of workshops, job shadowing, action planning, and dialogue on local governance in the United States. Subsequently, 16 American community activists are scheduled to travel to Kenya for two weeks to network and study grassroots culture and its influences on Maasai women.

Country(ies): Kenya
Region: Africa
U.S. State: GA
Theme(s): Democracy & Governance; Women's Empowerment

Name of Organization: University of Massachusetts Boston
Location: Boston, MA

Subject: Building conflict management skills among youth

Young people (under age 30) in Nigeria and the United States are being trained to manage conflict and to hold public discussions about ethnic and religious issues. The project consists of travel for twelve Nigerian leaders and young people to the United States for three weeks of workshops and site visits and for twelve American professionals in interfaith dialogue to Nigeria for two weeks to join local organizations in training larger groups in conflict management, and in conducting conflict intervention projects.

Country(ies): Nigeria
Region: Africa
U.S. State: MA
Theme(s): Democracy & Governance

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>> View the 2005 Africa grants

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