PHILIPSBURG, July 15, 2020  — The Civil Society Partnership Facility for Resilience, a new US $7.2 million project funded by the Sint Maarten Recovery, Reconstruction and Resilience Trust Fund, financed by the Government of theNetherlands, has been approved. The project aims to improve the capacity of Sint Maarten’s Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and support implementation of reconstruction and resilience at the community level.

Eligible CSOs will directly receive training, skills transfers, and financing for community sub projects. The project will also provide capacity building support to the CSOs and strengthen their ability to undertake community level resilience-building activities. 

Demand-driven CSO community sub-projects that meet the eligibility criteria for financing could come from a variety of sectors. Activities could include improvements in public spaces, investments and services benefitting children and the elderly, rehabilitation of playgrounds and sports facilities, or cleaning and recycling initiatives. Capacity building activities will include training of CSO staff in monitoring and proposal writing skills.

The Trust Fund has partnered with the International Cooperation Agency of the Association of Netherlands Municipalities (VNG International) to deliver financing to Sint Maarten’s CSOs. VNGi has prior experience in supporting sub projects at the community level. “We are honored and pleased to contribute to Sint Maarten’s long-term resilience at community level. Our earlier work in fostering partnerships with local CSOs has proven the power of targeted and swiftly implemented local initiatives,” commented Elger Vermeer, Senior Project Manager of VNG International.

“Local initiatives stand at the heart of long-term resilience. Sint Maarten’s communities know better than anyone which sub-projects will benefit them and serve those who need it most. Working with CSOs is a key principle of this Trust Fund and we are excited to see what we can achieve together,” stated Michelle Keane, World Bank Program Manager for the Sint Maarten Trust Fund.

This project is financed by the Sint Maarten Recovery, Reconstruction, and Resilience Trust Fund. The Trust Fund is financed by the Government of The Netherlands, managed by The World Bank and implemented in collaboration with the Government of Sint Maarten and the National Recovery Program Bureau (NRPB).

For more information, please visit:

https://www.sintmaartenrecovery.org/projects/resources-community-resilience

https://www.vng-international.nl/vng-international-sint-maarten

https://nrpbsxm.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Concept-Project-Information-Document-PID-St-Maarten-Civil-Society-Partnership-Facility-for-Resilience-CSPFRP-P172339.pdf

‍