2014 FLEX Alumni Grants Program Announcement

The 2014 FLEX Alumni Grants program winners were announced in May.  Eighty six proposals from nine FLEX countries were submitted for consideration, of which 40 were recommended for funding.  All winning project demonstrated significant cooperation with partner organizations, cost sharing, sustainability efforts, and community need.

This year the alumni projects will work to meet the needs of their communities through camps, educational trainings, Training of Trainers (ToT) series, and performing arts events. The projects will cover such aspects as immigration issues, unemployment, reaching out to disadvantage and at-risk children, breaking stereotypes, developing critical thinking skills among school children, increasing environmental awareness across Eurasia, and engaging local communities in volunteerism.

Funded projects include:

• Munira Mirmamadova ’09 (Khorog, Tajikistan) will work together with local students and volunteers to clean the polluted Panj River.
• Anna Zedginidze ’10 (Akhaltsikhe, Georgia) will promote civic participation and break ground on opening an NGO to engage the public in volunteer activities.
• Begaiym Turdalieva ’10 (Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan) together with the Bishkek Feminist Collective SQ will organize a series of anti-violence workshops to engage 30 male representatives in an anti-violence movement. Upon the completion of the workshops the project will continue as a social media movement to promote equality among the sexes.

Congratulations to the 2014 FLEX Alumni Grants Winners:

Some projects add new dimensions to improve and develop past grant projects and continue the work previously initiated previously, demonstrating a continued, but innovative commitment to their regions’ citizens.