Barbuda Resilience Fund

In March 2020, the Barbuda Resilience Fund held at the International Community Foundation sent $5,000 grants to BarbudanGO, Be Foundation, and the Youth Media Apprenticeship Program to help Barbudans prepare for COVID19.

BarbudanGo and Be Foundation are two local nonprofits that emerged after Hurricane Irma in 2017.

The mission of the BarbudanGO is to:

• Operate as an umbrella organization to give individuals andl groups access to apply for grants.
• Provide alternative education programs.
• Strengthen and preserve Barbuda’s history and culture.
• Make Barbuda more prepared for disasters.

The 5k grant supported the BarbudanGo team in working directly with the Barbudan Council to increase public health and safety awareness on the island. Funding helped purchase supplies for the local hospital and also supported a public awareness campaign where youth and adults participated in a pandemic song writing contest.

BarbudanGo also serves as the fiscal sponsor for the Youth Media Apprenticeship Program who run the only local news station in Barbuda and who have been a critical local source for information and resources. The 5k grant was used to help the Youth Media team broadcast daily COVID 19 updates, trainings and other interviews that all helped to connect local community efforts in fighting the pandemic.

The mission of the Be Foundation is to:

• Empower the voices of Barbudans to advocate for social change.
• Identify global opportunities for community involvement.
• Engage organizations, community leaders, citizens to ensure authentic participation and shared decision-making.
• Fundraising and resource mobilization.

With the 5k grant, the Be Foundation team was able to continue advancing their local farming program. Most of the food on the island is imported, which leaves Barbudans particularly vulnerable during this critical time. This program is geared towards building the resiliency of Barbudans to grow their own food. During the International Community Foundation's visit in late February there were 10 new local farmers. 

As we are writing this update Barbuda continues to prepare for hurricane season. Tropical storm warnings called for a lockdown on August 21st. At the same time, Barbudans are pushing back against the destruction of Palmetto Point which is part of the Codrington National Lagoon Reserve and an internationally recognized Ramsar site.   

The International Community Foundation team is grateful to everyone who has supported the Barbudan Resilience Fund. Incoming donations will continue to support capacity building for these NGO's who are passionate and commited to Barbuda and it's people. 

Links:

• The Be Foundation
• BarbudanGO

With help from YOU ALL through the GlobalGiving platform, the International Community Foundation has provided three 5k general support grants to help Barbuda prepare for AND emerge strong from the COVID 19 pandemic. The island remains on lockdown with an enforced curfew from 6pm-6am and supplies arriving once a week by boat. The three organizations below are working to keep Barbuda resilient during this difficult time.

BarbudanGo is one of two local nonprofits that emerged after Hurricane Irma in 2017 after recognizing the need for the continued development and ongoing strengthening of civil society on Barbuda. Their mission is to operate as an umbrella organization to give individuals and small unregistered informal groups access to grants; provide alternative education programs; strengthen and preserve Barbuda’s history and culture; and make Barbuda more prepared for disasters. This rapid response grant will enable the BarbudanGo team to increase public health and safety awareness on the island, provide the local hospital with essential supplies, and work directly with the Barbudan Council on recovery efforts. 

Be Foundation is the second local nonprofit that emerged after Hurricane Irma with the following goals: Empower the voices of Barbudans to advocate for social change; identify global opportunities for community involvement; engage organizations, community leaders, and citizens to ensure authentic participation and shared decision-making; and increased resource mobilization. This grant will enable the Be Foundation team to continue to advance their local farming program. Most of the food on the island is imported which leaves Barbudans particularly vulnerable during this critical time. Increasing local capacity for growing food in home gardens could be a game changer for many families. During ICF's recent site visit to Barbuda in late February there were 10 new local farmers who were regularly participating in this program.

The third rapid response grant is for the Abundant Life Youth Media Apprenticeship Program who run the only local news station on Barbuda and are a critical local source of information and resources. Originally organized to assist youth venture into the field of media, the program has demonstrated how it can improve reading, research, and public speaking skills. Youth are now leading on every aspect of video production and are reporting on relevant local news and current events. The team has been very actively broadcasting COVID 19 updates for the local and global community. BarbudanGo is the fiscal sponsor for this project.

THANK YOU for continuing to give to Barbuda!

Links:

• BarbudanGo
• The Be Foundation