AUSTRALIA has announced that it was proud to provide grants to six Australia Awards alumni for self-driven projects through the Australia Awards Alumni Support Grants, to the value of over SBD170,000, across Honiara, Central, Malaita and Western Provinces.
The projects, developed by the alumni themselves, include promoting STEM (Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics) in schools through a robotics competition, improving water dams and rainwater harvesting in rural communities including helping elderly people access clean water, training to improve pig farming and animal health, and fabric art training for women to help generate income.
Grants of AUD5,000 (SBD26,000) for individual alumni and AUD10,000 (SBD52,000) for alumni groups are provided to alumni to make a difference through innovative ideas, events, small-scale research projects, and capacity-building activities aiming to help alumni improve the socio-economic wellbeing and livelihoods of disadvantaged communities.
Grants are also aimed to fund initiatives promoting gender equality, disability and social inclusion practices or establishing Communities of Practice aligned with the development priorities of the Solomon Islands.
Australia Awards Scholarships are prestigious, merit-based, scholarships offered to current and emerging leads globally. Australia Awards alumni make substantial contributions within their own countries, covering a wide range of professions from medical research, environmental management, engineering, women’s economic empowerment and social protection.
– AHC
