Within the framework of the 'Semillas' project, aimed at preventing irregular migration through the generation of training and employment opportunities, a handover event was held on 25 April to finance six community development initiatives in five departments of El Salvador, for a total of about EUR 185,000.
The event was chaired by the Ambassador of Italy to El Salvador, Paolo Emanuele Rozo Sordini, and the Central American country's Deputy Minister of Diaspora and Human Mobility, Cindy Mariella Portal, who presented the six organisations selected to carry out six projects aimed at creating opportunities for people to take root and develop in their communities of origin.
Through 25 workshops, involving more than 200 people from institutions, organisations and local associations, 36 community development projects were presented. Of
of these, 36 community development projects were submitted, of which six initiatives won, proposing interventions in various fields: from training in shoe and leather craftsmanship to the renovation of a community sports centre, from the creation of safe spaces for children to the improvement of the community water supply.
The Semillas project contributes to supporting the Salvadoran diaspora to develop initiatives in their home territory. Therefore, in addition to encouraging the use of remittances as investment capital and not consumption capital, it aims at enhancing their impact, in terms of both tangible and intangible resources, by channelling them within the framework of initiatives planned to collectively benefit the communities of origin and foster the eventual return of the diaspora.
"Italy recognises the relevance of the role played by diasporas in the development of their communities of origin. Therefore, this component is extremely significant for our country, which aims to generate a change in the use of remittances, while expanding their concept and their potential for local development," said Ambassador Rozo Sordini.
During the event, the Handbook for the Management of Community Development Initiatives was also presented, a tool for identifying projects that enable the involvement of the
diaspora as agents of development in the territory of origin. the creation of a support mechanism
The event was attended by the Director of the AICS headquarters in San Salvador, Paolo Gallizioli, the Head of Mission of the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) in El Salvador, Nicola Graviano, representatives of the Salvadoran Agency for International Cooperation (Esco), the
Council for Micro and Small Enterprises (Conamype), the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), municipal authorities and winning organisations.
The 'Semillas' project, financed by the Italian Government through the Embassy of San Salvador and the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS), is implemented by the Ministry of Foreign Relations of El Salvador, in partnership with the Ministry of the Environment and Conamype.
Ambassador Rozo Sordini, during his speech, mentioned some of the important results already achieved in almost two years of the project, including the delivery of 124 scholarships for training in technical institutes, the financing of five projects for environmental conservation and restoration in three Ramsar sites in El Salvador, and the allocation of start-up capital for 88 micro-enterprises.
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