USAID awards grants to NGO

The United States Agency for International Development’s Lukautim Graun Program (USAID LGP) continues to advance the protection of Papua New Guinea’s rich biodiversity with awarding of small grants to non- governmental organizations (NGO).

These funds will reduce threats to biodiversity, strengthen traditional landowners’ rights, and promote women’s economic empowerment.

Eco Custodian Advocate Inc. (ECA) a NGO based in Milne Bay Province is among the few recipients of these small grants.

The signing of the grant agreement between ECA and USAIDGP took place in late April, 2023.

It is a 14 month project starting from April 20, 2023 to June 19, 2024.

Executive Director of ECA, David Mitchell and USAID LGP’s Chief of Party, Tom Pringle held further discussions on May 09, 2023, giving effect to this partnership.

With funding support from USAID LGP, Eco Custodian Advocates Inc. will extend its work on sound marine management and conservation support across Milne Bay Province.

ECA will increase its investment in the highly biodiverse Milne Bay seascape of the Coral Triangle by providing technical and soft skill support to 1,250 fishers of both genders, impacting 5,000 community members.

ECA will build on the customary practice of gwala (customary NRM – Marine) for priority food security and livelihood concerns of target fishers and communities by addressing the:

  • Rekindling of customary marine resource management;
  • Empowerment of women and the vulnerable;
  • Generation of ecologically beneficial and sustainable livelihoods.

The funding support from USAID LGP, enables ECA to continue:

  • Working with community youth in audio-visual smart-phone recordings that document local stewardship and customary law over their natural resources.
  • Providing skills training in basic editing of audio-visual material to a level that is recognized as a legal retrievable record.

Documentation of this approach to inform, socialize, and promote this as an acceptable new paradigm of having retrievable audio-visual material that is a record of oral customary law that is specific to local linguistically defined community groups.

Then promoting the incorporation of this into NRM and Ward Development Plans supported by the village court.

ECA’s activities will contribute to LGP’s goal of reducing environmental threats to biodiversity through community empowerment and increased opportunity for cultural conservation driven well-being initiatives. Specifically, ECA will strengthen and amplify its successful interventions of communities across the Milne Bay seascape

The activities will gain greater recognition of gwala customary closure and in doing so improve the well-being and livelihoods of coastal communities.

“The signing of this agreement with the Chief of Party demonstrates USAID LGP’s goal to work with communities, in recognizing the value of their customary marine management that protects, saves and preserves the marine resources. I’d like to thank USAID for that,” Mitchell emphasized.

USAID LGP’s Chief of Party Mr Pringel said, “We believe the funding support will help conserve PNG’s rich marine resources especially at a critical time when biodiversity faces grave threats around the world, with critical species and habitats threatened at an alarming rate.”

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