2026 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.  

From Rubble to Knowledge: Library for rural Moroccan girls’ post earthquake

Asni, High Atlas Mountains, Morocco

Founded in 2006, our organization is dedicated to promoting dignity, equality, and respect for all, especially for children and women in the most remote regions of Morocco, where poverty and lack of infrastructure are common. We strive to reduce vulnerability through educational and economic opportunities. Our work includes building classrooms, renovating schools, and creating opportunities for thousands of students in rural areas. Our current focus is the construction of two boarding houses, accommodating 500 girls and 500 boys, in Asni. These facilities will enable students from remote and impoverished areas to access quality education in a safe and supportive environment. This grant will address the lack of access to educational resources for girls in rural Morocco. Asni is a rural area that has long struggled with limited access to educational facilities and safe housing which have been exacerbated by the 2023 earthquake. Here opportunities are limited, girls face additional barriers to learning due to distance, poverty, and gender inequality. The grant will help reduce educational gaps by providing a safe, supportive learning space that promotes literacy, academic success, and empowerment for 500 girls, enabling them to continue their education and build better futures.

Grace Enough to Ensure Secondary Education (GEESE)

Makati City, Metro Manila, Philippines

In the Philippines, thousands of disadvantaged children do not attend public school because they cannot afford the required school-related expenses of uniforms, school supplies, meals, and transportation. Without a high school education, these students face severely limited economic opportunities and a high risk of remaining trapped in inter-generational poverty. UCMPFI is a non-profit dedicated to expanding educational access for children in marginalized communities. Its Grace Enough to Ensure Secondary Education (GEESE) program addresses the UN SDG for Quality Education by supporting high-potential, highly motivated students who lack the financial means to complete high school. GEESE also delivers holistic development through educational field trips, skills-building workshops, and career-oriented lectures designed to prepare scholars for both academic success and future employment. The $5,000 DG will cover the required expenses for eight high school girls during the 2026–2027 school year, removing primary barriers to consistent school attendance. Scholar progress is closely monitored through monthly meetings and quarterly one-on-one academic performance evaluations. To date, the GEESE program has successfully supported 367 scholars. The GEESE graduation rate of 97%, compared to the national average of 72%, demonstrates a proven model for reducing educational inequity and empowering young adults to build brighter, more sustainable futures.

FAWCO Digital Doorways IT Learning Lab

Steadfast Love Foundation’s Girls Support Centre in Imota, Lagos, Nigeria

FAWCO Digital Doorways IT Learning Lab addresses critical barriers facing girls in Imota, Lagos, where over 70% of households lack computers and 60% have no internet access. Nearly 40% of girls leave school before completing secondary education due to poverty and lack of support, while digital violence and exploitation threaten those who do access technology without proper training. SteadFast Love Foundation will establish a 6-workstation computer lab at their Girls Support Centre, providing 120 marginalized girls annually (ages 10- 18) with technology access, digital literacy training, and career development opportunities. The $5,000 grant funds desktop computers, printer/scanner, solar power backup (essential for reliable operation), internet setup, and ergonomic furniture. Girls will participate in workshops covering safe online practices, coding, IT skills, and STEM career pathways, utilizing free resources including Khan Academy and Google certifications. Local teachers and tech mentors will lead training, ensuring sustainability. Beyond the 120 direct beneficiaries, families, schools, and community members will experience ripple effects of girls' empowerment. Partnerships with Imota Students Development Association and local schools integrate the lab into the broader educational ecosystem. By combining technology access with SFL's existing body safety education and academic support, this project creates a comprehensive empowerment model, fostering digital inclusion and breaking cycles of poverty.

For projects:

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

Kids For Forests

Paris and Alsace, France

The grant will fund a two-day tree-planting trip to Alsace for 12 Paris Girl Scout kids and adults in fall 2026, the optimal planting season, in collaboration with non-profit https://colibri forest.fr. Focused in Alsace, the association welcomes volunteers of all ages, particularly families and school groups, to help local communities restore their woodlands and their sense of purpose and optimism, for future generations and the world, using efficient and sustainable protocols developed by Japanese forest ecology expert Akira Miyawaki. Our group will show how concern over the environment can be channeled into joyful, inspiring action that creates change and benefits everyone. $5000 will cover travel by high-speed train and rental vehicle, gas and tolls in Alsace, room and board, plus a donation to the non-profit. I will donate my time and skills to film and edit footage for a continuing documentary/web series dedicated to forest protection and activist heroes in the climate crisis.

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.

Beyond Bars: Women Supporting Women

Tripoli - Dar Al Amal (DAA) center, Lebanon

PROBLEM: Women incarcerated in Tripoli Prison have limited and inconsistent access to menstrual products. Disposable pads are only available from the prison nurse during weekday working hours, meaning women often go without outside these times. This creates discomfort, stress, and indignity. Meanwhile, female ex-prisoners face severe barriers to reintegration after release. Criminal records, stigma, and lack of recognised skills make access to dignified work extremely difficult, increasing economic vulnerability and social isolation. PROJECT: Beyond Bars addresses both challenges through a single, dignified solution. Dar Al Amal (DAA), the only NGO working inside Tripoli Prison, will collaborate with WingWoman Lebanon (WWL) to implement the project. Six female ex-prisoners will receive paid, hands-on training at DAA’s external atelier to produce high-quality reusable menstrual pad kits using WWL’s technical guidance and quality standards. These kits will be distributed by DAA to 90- 100 women in Tripoli Prison, providing a sustainable, long-term menstrual hygiene solution. IMPACT: The project restores dignity on both sides of the prison system: ex-prisoners gain skills, confidence, and income to support reintegration, while incarcerated women gain reliable access to essential menstrual products.

Emergency Fund for Homeless Female Street Vendors

Hamburg, Germany

One hundred thirty homeless women in Hamburg are working to rebuild their lives by selling a street magazine. As women, they face distinct and heightened risks compared to their male counterparts, including gender-based violence, reproductive health concerns, and the lack of safe spaces during emergencies. While earning income with dignity, limited access to gender specific care means even minor crises — such as a missed shelter night, a medical concern, or the need for basic hygiene products — can quickly escalate, threatening physical and emotional well-being. This DG will establish an emergency support fund for these 130 women, all vendors of Hinz&Kunzt, a professional street magazine that raises awareness of social exclusion and housing insecurity. By selling the magazine, the vendors earn income as a sustainable alternative to begging. As a nonprofit publisher, Hinz&Kunzt provides vendors with personal support, stability, and a welcoming community at their headquarters. The $5,000 grant will be managed by Hinz&Kunzt’s professional social work team to deliver rapid assistance in emergencies. Funds will support short-term accommodation and essential items such as menstrual products, underwear, pregnancy tests, and first-aid supplies. The project directly responds to the lived realities of homeless women, strengthening resilience, dignity, and continued participation in community life.

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.

Rescue and Comprehensive Medical Care for Lost and Found Children in Mumbai

Mumbai, India

At Bal Asha Children’s Home, every child arrives with a story no child should have to carry. Many are rescued within days of birth from streets, railway stations, hospital doorsteps, and other public spaces, abandoned due to stigma, illness, disability, or poverty. They often arrive malnourished, anaemic, underweight, or battling untreated infections, congenital conditions, and developmental delays. Some bear the invisible scars of trauma and neglect. Without immediate and sustained medical care, their survival and their chance at a future would be uncertain. This Development Grant will directly fund critical healthcare for children in Bal Asha’s care. The $5,000 will cover medical screenings, paediatric consultations, diagnostic tests, hospitalisations, medicines, vaccinations, nutritional supplements, therapeutic interventions, and specialised referrals. These early interventions stabilise fragile health, strengthen immunity, and address developmental delays during the most crucial years of growth. In Mumbai, where quality healthcare is costly, this funding will ensure that no child is denied treatment because of circumstance. By restoring health and maintaining clear medical records, the project prepares children for adoption or safe family reintegration. Your support will not only save lives, it will give abandoned children the dignity of healing and the possibility of a loving, secure future!

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  

Powering Through Crisis: Generator for MamaBaby Haiti's Lascahobas Community Hub

Haiti

In Haiti’s Central Plateau, frequent and prolonged power outages threaten lives. The area has no functioning hospital, but MamaBaby Haiti provides free community services at our Lascahobas Community Hub. Blackouts regularly shut down access to clean water, medical refrigeration, lighting, and safe shelter. While we rely on solar during the day, our small batteries can’t store enough power to last overnight. We currently use a generator every night to keep critical services running, but it is unreliable and insufficient. MamaBaby Haiti is requesting a $5,000 FAWCO Development Grant to install a high-capacity diesel generator at our Lascahobas Community Hub. This multi-purpose facility, which includes a 24/7 birth center, a residential orphanage for 20 children, a community school serving all grade levels, and housing for five midwives, provides all services completely free of charge and supports over 2,000 people annually. As many know, babies don’t wait for daylight, and our clinic is often busiest at night. Without reliable power, safe deliveries and essential services are at risk. This project aligns with several UN Sustainable Development Goals, specifically Goal 3 (Good Health and Well-Being) and Goal 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation), by ensuring life-saving services remain functional in a region with no hospital or safety net. The grant will fully fund the purchase, delivery, installation, fuel, and training for operating the generator.

Safe School, Safe Future: Protecting Children’s Right to Learn

Bangkok, Thailand

This project will improve the safety and health of the learning environment at Paintbrush Foundation’s school for children from low-income communities in central Bangkok. Opened in 2013, the school operates from a modest five-story shophouse located in Khlong Toey’s “70 Rai,” one of the city’s largest informal settlements. The school is open six days a week, offering evening and weekend classes to approximately 70 children and teenagers who attend arts and educational programs alongside their formal schooling. Currently, the building faces risks related to fire hazards, electrical systems, indoor air quality, and humidity, which can compromise both student safety and learning conditions. The $5,000 Development Grant will fund targeted interventions including fire and electrical safety upgrades, smoke detectors and fire alarms in classrooms and corridors, air purifiers and dehumidifiers, minor waterproofing, and emergency preparedness training such as fire drills and first aid for staff and students. These improvements will reduce immediate risks while equipping children with practical, life saving skills transferable to their homes and community. A fire safety specialist will conduct pre- and post-assessments, and feedback from students, teachers, and families will help measure impact. The grant will directly fund equipment, renovations, training, and project management, ensuring a safe, healthy, and empowering educational environment.