The GEF Small Grants Programme recently produced an informative video on its initiatives in Saint Lucia. The short film titled “The Meeting” is expected to give Saint Lucians a better understanding of the GEF Small Grants Programme which has been operating in Saint Lucia for several years.

Ahead of its premiere, Giles Romulus, the National Coordinator of the programme laid the foundation for the project.

“The GEF Small Grants Programme was established in 1992 after the Earth Summit in Rio—that big international conference that was held in Rio many, many, years ago and it brought about an international mechanism for funding sustainable development projects in countries around the world, particularly small island developing states and developing countries.”

Mr. Romulus went on to explain some of the objectives of the recently produced film.

“So we want to tell people that we are here, we exist, we are here to stay. We want to tell them that we have the technical and financial resources to assist them once they submit projects that can fit within the country programme strategy.”

A wide range of projects and programmes have been funded in Saint Lucia under the GEF Small Grants Programme, some of which are documented in the film.

“Our projects vary from rain water harvesting in Bouton, to addressing the issue of the sargassum seaweed on the east coast of Saint Lucia and turning it into a profitable enterprise with the Saint Lucia Fisher Folk Association and Algas Organics. We are also doing alternative energy projects in Choiseul.”

The short film also follows three young Saint Lucians in the pursuit of a GEF Small Grant for a climate change project of their own. The film is expected to be aired on NTN at 9 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 26.