What is GRENCODA?
- an indigenous non-profit, non-partisan, non-governmental development Agency
- committed to the development of Grenada’s rural communities.
Mission:
“To provide guidance and support to rural individuals, families and communities, to improve their quality of life”.
Target Groups:
- small farmers,
- women,
- low income workers
- and youth.
Strategic Priorities for alleviation of poverty are:
- To develop/support economic project for women.
- To assist students of low income households
- To facilitate skills training and the acquisition of life skills
- To advocate on policy issues impacting marginalized persons/groups.
- To improve the financial, human/physical resource base of the organization
- To stimulate/ help CBOs to become more self reliant & organized.
- To focus and increase the level of communication with stakeholders
Student Assistance Programme (SAP)
- Established in 1987 to break the cycle of poverty and empower families by enabling their children to attend Secondary School.
- Over 1500 vulnerable households have benefited.
Several components have been added:
- Personal Development/counseling
- Eight day Educational Camp
- Parenting Education Workshops
- Support for Tertiary education (TAMCC and NEWLO)
- Recognition and award for students who excel.
SUCCESS STORIES AND ACHIEVEMENTS
Rural Youth Empowerment Training Programme (RYETP)
✓Implemented in 2010 for over fifty (50) young persons between ages 18 – 25yrs from the communities of St. John’s, St. Mark’s and St. Patrick’s.
✓Skills training for rural youths coming out of the education system but in employable skills
✓A deliberate strategy was to ensure a higher percentage of males over females. Thirty (30) males, Twenty (20) females were selected and trained.
SUCCESS STORIES AND ACHIEVEMENTS
The main project activities completed were:
- Mobilisation selection & orientation of youth,
- Training in ICT
- Life/Soft Skills Personal Development, Work Ethics and Job Readiness
- Vocational Training: Front Office, Electrical, Bartending, Auto Mechanics, Sewing Engine Repairs, Agriculture, Tour Guiding, Plumbing
- Internship/Entrepreneurial training
- Job Placement
- Monitoring & evaluation
At the end of eighteen (18) months:
- 52 youth graduated: 31 males and 21 females.
- A comprehensive evaluation of the programme was conducted in 2009-2010
- GRENCODA partners with stakeholders for the continuation of this programme.
SUCCESS STORIES AND ACHIEVEMENTS
Chicken/ Pig / Goat Rearing Project for Food Security and Income :
- Staff initiated as a deliberate strategy to reintroduce sustainable development activities post Ivan.
- 2005: 232 households in the parishes of St. John, St. Mark and St. Patrick received 7300 Broilers and coops and 69,650 lbs of feed.
- 25 to 30 % continues to rear chickens, some extended their coops to include “Layers”.
- GRENCODA provides training and minimum infrastructural support
SUCCESS STORIES AND ACHIEVEMENTS
- The pig and goat rearing started on a smaller scale in 2006-2007
- After basic training 25 households received 50 pigs/feed
- 9 households with students in the SAP received 16 goats
- projects expanded:30 to 32 additional households received 65 pigs
- 11 additional households receive 25 goats.
- GRENCODA in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture ensure continuous training and periodic monitoring.