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Novedades

Winners of the New Zealand Embassy Fund

Last year, RACI was once again selected by the New Zealand Embassy to co-manage the funds that are granted to organizations in Argentina and Paraguay through the NEW ZEALAND EMBASSY FUND 2019-2020.

Through the open call, RACI received and evaluated a total of 325 project proposals. This signifies a 124% increase in the number of nominations since 2017 and has doubled from the years 2018-2019. Most of these projects came from Argentina with a total of 273 proposals, while 52 were received from Paraguay.

When the open call was closed, RACI analyzed and evaluated all of these proposals under a scoring system based on the analysis of these categories: project viability, impact, rigor and budget, among other variables considered.

The themes proposed by the New Zealand Embassy were: “Socioeconomic Inclusion,” “Gender Equality,” “Sustainable Development and Renewable Energy,” and “Strengthening of Democratic and Civil Institutions.”

In connection to the results of RACI’s evaluation, the organizations selected by the New Zealand Embassy were Fundación Solar INTI, Asociación Civil Renacer en el tiempo and Fundación Cien Caminos, located in Argentina; and Aldeas Infantiles based in Paraguay.

All of the proposals have innovative ideas with a commitment to improve the standard of living in communities where they are installed and, moreover, possess a strong focus on sustainable development.

On the one hand, Fundación Solar INTI, located in the province of Salta, Argentina, seeks to install ecological kitchens in the Iruya community to reduce wood consumption and guarantee sustainable development in the daily life of families, increasing their autonomy.

On the other hand, Asociación Civil Renacer en el tiempo, located in the province of Formosa, Argentina, aims to develop strategic capabilities for family beekeepers, for the generation of socio-technical solutions that encourage and strengthen the community and sustainability.

In regards to Fundación Cien Caminos, located in the province of Río Negro, Argentina, they have proposed a project that consisted of conducting free campaigns of ophthalmologic care and the promotion of visual health in Rio Negro’s rural zones and vulnerable neighborhoods in the city of Bariloche.

Finally, Aldeas Infantiles, located in Paraguay, is working towards establishing two cognitive and physical rehabilitation rooms to increase medical attention to children, teenagers, and adults with disabilities in the community of San Ignacio, Misiones.