The Canadian government has launched the Canada Fund for Local Initiatives (CFLI), an annual program aimed at supporting developmental projects in South Sudan.
According to a statement seen by The City Review, CFLI is designed to support small-scale, high-impact projects, in developing countries, which align with Global Affairs Canada’s thematic priority areas for engagement.
In South Sudan, a country re-emerging from six years of bloody civil war in which thousands were killed and millions displaced millions, CFLI targets projects conceived and designed mainly by local partners.
It says the program serves to support positive bilateral relations between Canada and South Sudan as well as the civil society by deepening contacts and supporting local endeavors.
The average CFLI contribution is $20,000 Canadian dollars (US$14,200) and the maximum is $30,000 Canadian dollars (US$21,400), which is equivalent to SSP 4.1 million and SSP 6.2 million respectively.
Despite priority on funding innovative projects that deliver measurable results, a greater portion of funding shall benefit local civil society organizations and other institutions working at the local level.
As Covid-19 rages on, the 2020-21 CFLI phase is also directed at projects that aim to respond to the complex impact of the virus, which has so far infected 563 and killed six people as per the national statistics.
In a related development, Canada has also donated $29 million in response to humanitarian crises in South Sudan as part of efforts to support partners involved in life-saving work around the world to help those affected by conflict and facing food insecurity.
According to Karina Gould, Canadian Minister for International Development, the money is part of the $306 million funds directed to respond to the annual humanitarian appeals by the United Nations Agencies, the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement and non-governmental organizations.
Douglas Scott Proudfoot, Canada’s Ambassador to South Sudan said the fund will facilitate the provision of humanitarian needs to the most vulnerable population in the country.
“Canada is providing $29 million for the life-sustaining needs of the most vulnerable people in South Sudan, through UN agencies, the ICRC, and NGOs. In addressing Covid-19 we must not lose sight of those affected by natural crisis and conflict,” he said.