06 September 2000
Vulnerable children and young people in many of the world's poorest areas are among the beneficiaries of £24.3 million of grants awarded today by the National Lottery Charities Board. The grants, awarded to 102 UK-based charities working abroad, will help provide for needs such as healthcare, safe water, sanitation and education.
Health Unlimited receives the largest grant awarded today. The grant of £1,011,104 will be used to improve access to health information and services for people living in the Great Lakes region of East Africa (comprising Rwanda, Burundi, the Congo, Uganda and Tanzania). A radio programme aimed at women of reproductive age, widows and young people will provide practical health information and advise on availability of health services. The programme will be in the form of a 'soap' drama, locally written and transmitted over the BBC Great Lake Lifeline Service and Radio Rwanda. Men will also benefit and will learn from characters in the drama about their roles and responsibilities regarding the health of their families.
Anglo Nigerian Welfare Association for the Blind will provide all blind students in Nigerian secondary schools with Braille text books and help them in their final year of school to find employment. They receive a grant of £52,779.
Action Water receives £99,998 to provide water and sanitation facilities and introduce a programme of hygiene education in 68 schools in Andhra Pradesh, India.
Among the awards are:
Other projects will help street children to access health and education; help communities in Orissa, India to recover from the devastation caused by the 1999 cyclone; and reduce the risk of HIV/AIDS in developing countries.
Diana Brittan, Chair, National Lottery Charities Board, said: "I am particularly pleased that the Charities Board has a programme which funds overseas work carried out by UK-based charities. The British public has for generations given generously to charities that help the world's poorest people.
"These projects will be carried out by UK charities who will use their extensive experience and expertise to work in partnership with overseas charities to bring about real, lasting changes to the lives of vulnerable people. The aim of the projects is to help people to help themselves. We hope that helping vulnerable communities to meet very basic needs will provide a stepping stone to a better life.
"In 1995 the British public donated £350 million to help communities in developing countries and the Government has empowered the Charities Board, through the National Lottery Act, to give grants which reflect this high level of support.
"Our funding, in a small way, also complements the Government's goal (set out in a white paper in November 1997) to halve the proportion of the world's population living in extreme poverty by 2015 with the continuing and active support of the British public.
"Our International programme has become an important source of funds for UK-based charities working abroad and we will continue to commit a proportion of our funds to support projects that are working to bring lasting change to people living in extreme poverty."
Media enquiries: Robert Blow 020 7747 5227
Notes for editors:
1. A list of grants made today are available on the website.
2. A total of £107 million has been awarded to 525 groups under the International grants programme since the programme was launched in June 1996.
3. The National Lottery Charities Board has awarded £1.7 billion to over 35,000 charities and voluntary groups across the UK since October 1995.
4. Application lines for the fifth International grants programme will open on 30 October 2000.