US helps youth make a difference with Youth Empowerment Grants

Friday, 20 September 2013 02:55 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

US Ambassador to Sri Lanka Michele Sison recently awarded US$ 173,481 (approximately SLR 22.5 million) to 18 Youth Empowerment Grant winners whose projects will help enhance their local communities. Chosen from an extremely competitive pool of proposals, the 18 winning recipients were awarded for creative ideas that will benefit local communities and make a difference through youth leadership. “We are supporting groups by empowering youth to address gender based violence, increase information technology use, address

socially-critical issues through the arts, and empower the hearing-impaired – just to name a few,” Ambassador Sison said. “These projects are happening in Monaragala, Hambantota, Matale, Anuradhapura, Colombo, Kilinochchi, Trincomalee, Puttalam, Galle, Polonnaruwa and Jaffna, which points to the diversity and reach of these proposals.” The Youth Empowerment Grant winners will have the opportunity to improve their communities by meeting the goals of these projects, but also to help build the capacity of these respective organisations as they succeed and expand. The US Embassy is proud to fund such a diverse range of creative projects from the Youth Empowerment Grant recipients; this is the fourth year the Embassy has held this program, and the US Embassy has contributed a total US$ 661,326 (around SLR 86 million) for 57 projects since this program began.