EU-Funded Including Us Program Launched in Saint Lucia

The Including Us project officially launched on May 29, 2024, targeting marginalised youth in Saint Lucia with a special emphasis on young girls/women and children with disabilities. The project is being delivered by NGO, Sacred Sports Foundation Inc (SSF) and is funded by the European Union (EU), to provide physical and psycho-social support to groups that most need it.

Vulnerable girls and children with disabilities are benefiting from the project, which has been working behind the scenes since January to build capacity. The EU-funded project will run until December 2025 with the overall goal of helping better the lives for young girls and children with disabilities living in Saint Lucia.

“This project is specifically designed to aid vulnerable youth in Saint Lucia,” said Nova Alexander, Executive Director of Sacred Sports Foundation. “Including Us will help protect the youth against preventing discrimination and combating all kinds of violence against girls/women and persons with disabilities, including child abuse, domestic and gender-based violence “

Including Us will increase the protection of girls and children with disabilities by providing training and capacity building in physical and psycho-social support.

As well as working closely with the Special Education Unit within the Ministry of Education, Sustainable Development, Innovation, Science, Technology and Vocational Training, the project will target children and youth in communities around Saint Lucia and those that provide services for them and help strengthen the capacity of local civil society organisations directly by providing grants to assist development in strategic areas. A cadre of 20 unemployed youth leaders will also be trained to champion change and significantly aid in the inclusive engagement of CSO’s with the target groups.

Some 60 disadvantaged girls between the ages of 11 to 28 will be targeted alongside 140 children with disabilities, aged between 9 to 20 from special education schools around Saint Lucia.

In addition, 28 community leaders with a focus on youth/women and children with disabilities will also be trained in child safeguarding and gender-based analysis techniques from grassroots civil society organisations, community and youth groups. 100 primary and secondary teachers from 6 schools will also receive in-person and online training.

The project is expected to enhance local CSO’s ability to effectively implement more inclusive programmes, policies, and approaches both at an organisational level and in a community setting. And, in tackling often stereotypical views towards gender-based violence and child abuse, Including Us will help instill international standards of practice at a grassroots level.