BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (June 30, 2023) – The High Commission of Canada is pleased to announce the contribution of CAD95,000 to three non-governmental organizations in the Commonwealth of Dominica through the Canada Fund for Local Initiatives (CFLI). Following an open call for proposals, the Canadian High Commission selected Lifeline Ministries Inc., MiRiDom and Kibe’kuati Inc. as three of its eight Eastern Caribbean CFLI projects for 2023-2024.
Through a CAD40,000 CFLI contribution, Lifeline Ministries Inc. will implement a pilot project providing safe accommodation and support services to survivors of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) in Dominica. Working in close collaboration with the Bureau of Gender Affairs, the Lifeline Ministries project will train counsellors and hosts and supplement SGBV survivors’ access to safe short-term refuge and services.
Canada is providing CAD15,000 to MiRiDom for the completion of a 2019 CFLI project that was disrupted due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The MiRiDom project will include awareness raising on the importance of protecting and promoting human rights, diversity and inclusion in Dominica.
Canada also awarded CAD40,000 to Kibe’kuati Inc. to implement a rehabilitation and education program for SGBV survivors in the Kalinago Territory. Ten Indigenous women will receive access to academic and childcare support as they complete their secondary education, thereby enhancing their future economic viability and building a network of support.
The Canada Fund for Local Initiatives is a program designed to support small-scale, high-impact projects in developing countries that align with the Government of Canada’s thematic priority areas for engagement. The High Commission of Canada received proposals from civil society organizations across four eligible countries in the Eastern Caribbean, administering CAD300,000 in available funding. Other successful 2023-2024 CFLI project partners include the Grenada Planned Parenthood Association, GrenCHAP Inc., Raise Your Voice Saint Lucia Inc., Girls of a Feather, and RedRoot SVG Inc. The 2023 CFLI beneficiaries join the East Dominica Children’s Federation and Equal Rights Access and Opportunities SVG Inc. which conclude their project activities this year.
The projects in Dominica advance foreign policy priorities for Canada in the Eastern Caribbean, including promoting gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls, combatting sexual and gender-based violence, and protecting the human rights of all individuals.
High Commissioner of Canada, H.E. Lilian Chatterjee noted, “This year’s CFLI projects help to meet the needs of some of the most vulnerable groups in Dominica — survivors of SGBV, Indigenous women, and members of the LGBTQI+ community. We hope these projects provide additional support to Dominica’s social services sector, and create new economic and social opportunities for marginalized groups.”
