USAID and the IDB Announce $2 million in New Awards to Support Venezuelans Through Employment, Financial Services, and Access to Information
Today, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) announced $2 million for five new awards under the BetterTogether/JuntosEsMejor Challenge to benefit Venezuelans in the Argentine Republic, the Federative Republic of Brazil, the Republics of Colombia and Chile, and the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.
The awardees will provide critical solutions for employment, finance, and Internet connectivity:
In Argentina and Chile, 2811(link is external), in partnership with ASHOKA, will scale Hola América, a social-innovation platform that will support Venezuelan entrepreneurs with training and resources to succeed in the local markets and expand their businesses to additional countries in the region.
In Brazil, A Casa(link is external) will work with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to build on the skills of Warao migrants in the cities of Pacaraima, Boa Vista, and Manaus and establish an artisan association to produce and sell traditional handicrafts. The project will train artisans and help them structure a business model, provide access to raw materials, and establish partnerships and market links in Brazil and around the world.
In Chile, CDI(link is external) will leverage its successful training programs to launch the “Data-Science Bootcamp for Employability,” which will provide hundreds of Venezuelan women with in-demand data-skills training and job-placement services to empower them through meaningful economic opportunities.
In Colombia, an organization will scale access to technologies that increase the efficiency and effectiveness of Venezuelan migrants’ financial transactions.
In Venezuela, with USAID funding, a local organization will pilot a software solution that allows Venezuelans reliable access to independent news and information resources.
The BetterTogether/JuntosEsMejor Challenge is a partnership between USAID and the Inter-American Development Bank to crowdsource, fund, and scale innovative solutions to support Venezuelans and communities that host them across Latin America and the Caribbean.