By Foster Obi
United States Agency for International Development (USAID) said it has invested $4.4 million through the NPI EXPAND project, implemented by Palladium (link is external), to provide sub-grants to local or locally established partners in five countries (Liberia, Tanzania, the Republics of Mali and Sénégal, and the Federative Republic of Brazil) to address the pandemic of COVID-19:
A statement by USAID Acting Administrator John Barsa explains the investments. “In Liberia, NPI EXPAND will engage local non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to mobilize religious and community leaders to increase public awareness of the risks of infection with COVID-19 and how to prevent it.
“In Tanzania, NPI EXPAND will help local, community-run savings and credit groups shift their income-generating activities to the production of face masks for the general public.
“In Sénégal, NPI EXPAND will mobilize community-based organizations to help local health authorities conduct door-to-door visits to advise households on how to carry out physical distancing and prevent infection.
“In Mali, NPI EXPAND will help community-based organizations and communications networks use modern and traditional media to communicate accurate information about how people can protect themselves, their families, and their communities from COVID-19. Religious and community leaders will disseminate similar messages. Through these grassroots approaches, Malians can counter misinformation and rumors and take responsibility for fighting the pandemic.
“ In Brazil, NPI EXPAND will bring together social-impact fund SITAWI Finanças do Bem (link is external) and the Partnership Platform for the Amazon (link is external), a collective-action convening alliance founded by USAID and led by the private sector, to fund local NGOs that are working in the Amazon region to reach underserved, vulnerable communities.
“In the coming weeks, NPI EXPAND will issue several Requests for Applications for sub-awards to support capacity-strengthening and mentoring of new and local partners,” the statement said.
Also Announcing Funding for Programs in Global Health Under the New Partnerships Initiative, “I am announcing a new award from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) under the New Partnerships Initiative (NPI) to the Americares Foundation (link is external).
“NPI is shifting the focus of USAID’s traditional partners to mentoring, capacity-building, and technical oversight, by using umbrella mechanisms and sub-awards strategically to enable new and underutilized local partners to lead development in their own communities and advance the Journey to Self-Reliance. USAID seeks to expand its network of partnerships with local organizations because they can mobilize quickly and take advantage of long-standing grassroots relationships to bring needed interventions directly to people at risk.
“The Americares Community Partnerships for Respectful Care (CPRC) project is a five-year, $25 million effort under NPI to reduce mortality and morbidity among mothers and their children through improved community-based health care. Americares will work with Christian Connections for International Health (CCIH) (link is external) and its local affiliates in the United Republic of Tanzania and the Republic of Liberia to leverage the expertise and reach of local and locally established organizations, by building their institutional capacity. This new partnership will work closely with Tanzanian and Liberian communities and faith-based networks to improve access to, and demand for, high-quality, community-based health care for mothers, newborns, and children; voluntary family planning; nutrition; and respectful maternity care,” the statement said.
