(21 August 2008) Twenty innovative projects from 12 Latin American and Caribbean nations were selected as semifinalists in the 2007-2008 "Experiences in Social Innovation" contest organized by the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), with support from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.
The St. Lucian semifinalist is the initiative "Empowerment of blind and visually impaired youths", of the St. Lucia Blind Welfare Association (SLBWA). The project focuses on blind or visually impaired persons under 30, mainly from rural areas.
Its work model covers several stages, from schooling to insertion in the labour market, and adopts a multiple approach: itinerary teachers in regular schools; entertainment programmes for daily and vocational activities aimed at enhancing independence; and an income generating programme through work in different projects (telemarketing, fabrication of mops). It also trains health and education professionals for working with the blind and visually impaired.
When it began in 2002, the project benefited 354 people, but by 2007, the number had risen to 1,169. The project's main results have been increasing family incomes, improving access to materials and services, raising educational levels, and giving the blind and visually impaired access to jobs and higher education.
The Saint Lucia Blind Welfare Association project has also raised awareness among the population and allowed for multi-institutional work between the private and public sectors. The Association has established alliances with a network of local, national and international partners, and works in conjunction with the government.
"The region is an explosion of innovation. Once again, these 20 projects reflect the extraordinary creativity people have to generate the networks to help them overcome poverty," said María Elisa Bernal, director of the Experiences in Social Innovation Project.
The semifinalists from South America are Brazil (7), Colombia (2), Ecuador (2), Argentina (1), Bolivia (1) and Chile (1). From Central America, they are Guatemala (1), El Salvador (1), Honduras (1), and for the first time, Belize (1). In the Caribbean, Cuba (1) and St. Lucia (1) reached the semifinalist stage for the first time.
Over half of the projects are carried out by national or local non-governmental organizations (NGOs). The main areas they cover are youths (25%), income generation, education and rural development (20% each).
The projects will be visited by contest evaluators in August and September. The Selection Committee will gather in October to define the finalists, who will present their projects at the Social Innovation Fair to be held in late November in Medellín, Colombia.
The first place consists of a prize of US$30,000; second place, US$20,000; third place, US$15,000; fourth place, US$10,000; and fifth place, US$5,000. These sums may be invested directly into the projects, or be used to improve the work conditions of the organization in charge.
The "Experiences in Social Innovation" project, launched in 2004, is based on a contest that seeks to identify innovative social development programmes, to disseminate them and contribute to improve practices and policies on behalf of the most impoverished population of Latin America and the Caribbean. To date, some 4,400 projects have been submitted to the competition, which is now on its fourth round.
In the 2005-2006 cycle, the original Brazilian project "Pintando o Sete" showed concrete progress in integrating visually impaired children, and won fifth place in the contest.
Click here for more information on the Experiences in Social Innovation Project, or contact Anita Callejas at: anita.callejas cepal.org ; Telephone: (562) 210-2387 |
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