2025 Development Grant Recipients

For projects:

• promoting literacy and supporting academic studies,
• that build or provide classrooms, libraries or general learning facilities for disadvantaged women/children, 
• that provide training designed to lead to economic and social empowerment for women and girls.  

Educating Women & Girls Worldwide - $5,000

sponsored by Renuka Matthews

Connected Horizons - Empowering Afghan Women Thru Internet Access

Paris, France

The Hila Initiative is a volunteer-based nonprofit organization that provides online English language classes, cultural exchange, mentorship and mental health support to women in Afghanistan. Our goal is to help these young adult women create a professional and academic path forward, fostering autonomy and economic self-sufficiency.

We are embarking on our second year of activity with 42 students and 4 teachers. 

The Connected Horizons project will allow 15 students to effectively participate in the full program by providing monthly internet data packages for one full school year. 

Class attendance, student retention and better test scores are all a testament to the success of these internet credits scholarships. We noticed that students, teachers and Conversation Partners alike had much improved communication and level of engagement. The change was immediate.

Through their interactions with teachers and conversation partners, students feel supported by a global network of people who genuinely care about their futures. These moments of connection and mutual understanding are central to what makes the Hila Initiative unique.

Hope Through Education - $5,000

sponsored by Michele Hendrikse DuBois in memory of her parents Joan and Denis DuBois

Training Midwives in Haiti: Simulation Mannequin for Safer Births

Cap Haitien, Haiti

At MamaBaby Haiti’s two birth clinics, skilled midwives provide life-saving support in one of the most challenging places in the world to give birth. They welcome 1,250 babies annually and provide over 8,000 perinatal appointments – all at no cost – for women who wouldn't otherwise have access to safe healthcare.

Many of the clinic’s midwives are graduates of MamaBaby Haiti’s tuition-free midwifery school. Training to become a midwife is no small task. Students must prepare for emergencies that can arise in an instant—hemorrhages, umbilical cord prolapse, placenta previa. Being ready for these moments can save lives.

Imagine lifelike mannequins—a mother and baby—that replicate pregnancy, labor, and birth. This grant will purchase a “maternal care patient simulator,” allowing students to practice complex procedures in the safe, controlled environment of a makeshift simulation laboratory. Students and clinic staff members can rehearse emergencies, practice suturing, measure cervical dilation, start IVs, perform CPR, and even attend simulated births. It’s the kind of cutting-edge training tool used in top hospitals and universities around the world. This simulator would be a gamechanger for MamaBaby Haiti’s grassroots clinic: empowering women with critical skills and further protecting the lives of mothers and babies.

The Coughlan Family Education Grant - $5,000

in recognition of the generosity of the Coughlan Family

SPOSA CHILD (Save and Protect our Sexually Abused Child)

Negros province of The Philippines

Incest remains a significant and deeply troubling issue in the Philippines. The experience of sexual abuse changes the way a child understands their world, the people in it and where they belong. Fleeing abuse limits opportunities for recovery and reintegration into communities. SPOSA CHILD (Save and Protect Our Sexually Abused Child) raises and manages funding to support complete primary, secondary, and tertiary education cycles for eight girls. This grant is an educational investment in Jerlyn Mae Samson. As an incest survivor who has navigated her own healing, Jerlyn can serve as a hopeful example of resilience and recovery. Funding will cover all costs for her to complete a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and achieve her dream of becoming a guidance counselor. Jerlyn’s experience, combined with her education, will make her a powerful ally in the healing process of other victims.

For projects:

• which contribute to supporting environmental action,
• that help mitigate climate change, 
• aimed at restoring the health of our planet.

For the Health of Our Planet - $5,000

sponsored in part by AIWC Cologne

ManiGreen - The World We Want

Rome, Italy

Art communicates thoughts, ideas and emotions across language and cultural barriers. It connects people, inspires action, and promotes sustainability and inclusion.

2050 To People has organised an open-air public art exhibition in Rome for the Jubilee Year entitled "The Art of Caring for Our Planet", collaborating with the European Parliament, and renowned artist, Michelangelo Pistoletto.

The exhibition will display 1500 themed eco-laminated drawings by elementary students hung from tree bows on each tree in the park, knitted by seniors from retirement homes and AWAR’s own knitting club.

The exhibition will feature a day of themed community activities free of charge. New games and old, readings and science activities organised by a scientific committee will target values and skills to participate in sustainable and inclusive decisions to improve our quality of life by preserving the planet's wealth for the future.

The Development Grant will cover the activity Il Cielo Itinerante (The Traveling Sky - A minibus filled with experiments and state of the art telescopes,) ‘that brings the sky where it does not reach’. Its aim is to promote scientific knowledge, bringing all children, including those in situations of fragility and social hardship, closer to the wonders of science and space.

For Projects: 

• that fall within any of the FAWCO focus areas with which we align our Development Grants i.e., Education, Environment, Health or Human Rights.
• that recognize club’s local charities often overlooked on the world stage, 
• that take place in the nominating club's home country.

Close to Home I - $5,000

sponsored by the FAWCO Foundation

Project WHEEL - Women's Health, Empowerment, & Enduring Liberation

Frankfurt, Hesse, Germany

Project WHEEL, from Frauenrecht ist Menschenrecht (FIM), which means Women’s Rights are Human Rights, is dedicated to supporting survivors of female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C). This practice affects thousands in Germany and leaves survivors with enduring physical/emotional trauma that demands comprehensive care. This Development Grant will provide vital assistance to 10-20 survivors in Hesse, Germany, offering services tailored to their needs. The grant will support 65 hours of one-on-one counseling, 40 hours of accompaniment to medical appointments/surgeries, and 20 hours of logistical aid, ensuring survivors receive guidance throughout their journey to recovery. These services address physical/psychological needs and empower survivors with crucial knowledge about their health, rights, and available surgical options. FIM previously funded specialized training for a local doctor in Hesse, expanding access to skilled medical professionals for corrective surgery closer to home. By providing these services, FIM helps women reclaim their health/autonomy while fostering awareness to break the cycle of FGM/C. This project ultimately aims to empower survivors and reduce future incidents by fostering a supportive, informed environment where survivors can heal and thrive without facing unnecessary barriers. Through this support, FIM and its partners will make a meaningful difference in the lives of these women and their communities.

Close to Home II - $5,000

sponsored in part by Linda Work

Access Life- Pediatric Cancer Patients' and Caregivers' Holistic Support

Mumbai, India

This project aims to provide comprehensive care to children battling cancer and their families, addressing critical challenges faced by low-income families during treatment. It ensures safe accommodation, nutritious meals, hospital transportation, and educational support, fostering emotional well-being and dignity. By mitigating financial and logistical barriers, the project empowers families to pursue uninterrupted treatment and improves overall quality of life.

The $5,000 grant will directly benefit 33 individuals, including 11 pediatric cancer patients and their caregivers, covering essential expenses like accommodation, nutrition, transportation, and educational resources.

The project’s impact will be evaluated in 12 months by tracking treatment continuity and measuring how many families complete their child's treatment without interruptions. Health outcomes will be monitored by assessing treatment adherence and the children’s physical and emotional well-being. Additionally, the number of children successfully discharged and returning to their hometowns will be tracked as a key success metric.

This initiative offers children and their families hope, resilience, and a chance to overcome cancer with dignity. Together, we can ensure that no family has to choose between saving their child’s life and financial survival. Your support will bring hope, healing, and the chance for a brighter future to these brave children and their families.

For Projects: 

• providing medical treatment, diagnostic services, preventive care or medical counseling.
• that include but are not limited to cancer, HIV/AIDS, communicable, non-communicable and environmental diseases, substance abuse, life-improving surgeries, mental issues, the critically ill, the disabled, the aged, medical transport, special needs and maternal health for mothers and children.

Critical Health Concerns - $5,000

in Memory of John S. Kobacker

Bukas Palad Nutrition Program

Epifanio delos Santos Elementary School, Tramo Street, Pasay City, Philippines

Undernutrition is a pressing issue in the Philippines, with the nation ranking among the top five countries in East Asia for a notable increase in children experiencing stunted growth. In addition, underweight and stunting continues to be a significant public health concern, particularly among school-aged children from 6 to 10 years old. 

The Bukas Palad (BP) Nutrition Program works to eliminate, prevent, and reduce malnutrition thereby promoting proper nutrition and healthy lifestyle behaviors to children and families in the community to lessen future emerging comorbidities and health burdens of the community and the country.

 The DG of $5,000 will cover the cost of meals for 20 malnourished children ($4,150) and wages of four staff ($850) who prepare, cook, transport the meals and monitor the children’s food intake. Since 2023, the C.U.R.E. Our Child Foundation donated funds to The BP Nutritional Program to provide nutritional lunch meals (30% daily caloric requirement) for 43 malnourished school children, throughout the school year. A volunteer pediatrician monitors the children's attendance, food intake, and anthropometrics. The C.U.R.E. funding ends this school year and the program is looking for sponsors to continue the program. The DG will help support the BP program for another year.

For projects:

• providing vocational training, teaching practical skills, promoting social entrepreneurial initiatives for at-risk/marginalized population groups,
• addressing the critical problems of violence, food and shelter, healthcare, education, poverty, advocacy, human trafficking, prostitution, refugees, including all those impacted by economic, political or other forced migration,
• promoting cultural understanding  

FAUSA Effecting Change for Women and Children at Risk - $5,000

More "Hello Baby!" Bags

Hamburg, Germany

Hello Baby Bags is a local initiative bringing comfort and dignity to vulnerable mothers by providing colorful bags filled with essential baby items, easing the financial and emotional strain of welcoming a newborn home. Each bag includes “like-new” baby clothes (sleepers, sweaters, onesies, socks), newly purchased hygiene items (diapers, breast pads, creams, sterile wipes), an upcycled baby quilt, and even a toy. This grant will fund hygiene items for 300 bags, doubling the number distributed in 2024—critical support to meet rising demand. The bags are gifted to refugee, homeless, low-income, and adolescent mothers who might otherwise have nothing for their newborns. Distributed through social agencies, they also serve as a gateway to vital medical, financial, and social resources, creating lasting positive change for women and children at risk. Launched last year by a local charity with a large used-clothing donation program, Hello Baby Bags depends on community-donated baby clothes and volunteers—like our club members—who help sort and upcycle materials. Awarding this grant provides the necessary financial support. Hello Baby Bags is a grassroots project that helps bridge the gap between struggling mothers and life-changing support programs.

Breaking the Cycle - $5,000

sponsored by the FAWCO Foundation

Safety Pathways: Youth Outreach in Vietnam for Trafficking & Forced Labor Prevention

In-Person in Nghe An, Central Vietnam

Human trafficking is a growing $236 billion industry, globally enslaving 50 million people. In Vietnam’s trafficking hotspots, many at-risk youths face limited economic mobility and are vulnerable to traffickers’ false job promises and misinformation, leading to trafficking and forced labor. 

Pacific Links Foundation, a women-led U.S. organization, with 20+ years of experience in empowering 250,000+ women and youth, seeks a $5,000 Development Grant to conduct a school outreach event for 750 students on trafficking prevention and safe migration. Participants will also be introduced to our PAXU Safe Migration app (downloaded 25,000+), which offers ongoing support and education. The funds will cover handouts, snacks, and handbooks ($1,900), venue rental ($250), staff travel ($1,450), and promoting PAXU usage ($300). 

This project bridges the gap to safe employment, advancing UN Sustainable Development Goal #8 (Decent Work) by equipping at-risk youth with the skills to make informed migration decisions, thrive in the workforce, and transform their communities. It also strengthens community resilience, reducing the cycle of vulnerability to exploitation and poverty, while fostering local economic development.

Discretionary Development Grant - $5,000

sponsored by the FAWCO Foundation

Education Support: to help refugee women and girls in South Florida (RAA)

Miami Dade County and Broward County South Florida, USA

Refugee women arrive in America full of hope for the future but lack the skills and confidence to find employment with the opportunity for promotion, growth and progression, and become trapped in persistent poverty - working low-paid, low-skilled shift roles with no possibility for progression. Many come from cultures where women have been discouraged or disenfranchised from education, employment and economic empowerment, and need additional support to plan and achieve a path to success. FAWCO funding will provide adult refugee women and transitional-aged girls with necessary support including college or vocational course fees; books, course supplies and examination fees; barrier reduction including but not limited to laptops, internet access, temporary childcare and transportation, mentorship and career path planning. This grant will have an impact far greater than its $5,000 value. FAWCO’s grant will enable refugee women to take ownership of their own futures - often for the first time - and work towards achieving independence and career growth.