16 associations awarded the first call for projects of the CORÉOM program
The essentials
Co-financed by the French Development Agency and the Fondation de France, the Overseas Regional Cooperation program (CORÉOM) is implemented by the recognized public utility association La Guilde, an incubator of solidarity projects for nearly 40 years..
- Launch in September 2024 of a call for projects to support regional cooperation and international solidarity initiatives led by associations of Guadeloupe, Guyana, Martinique, Mayotte and of There Meeting, in partnership with local structures.
- With the support of the Interregional Conference of Regional Multi-Actor Networks (CIRRMA); Karib Horizon, 1er Overseas Regional Multi-Stakeholder Network; the Mayotte Environmental Education and Sustainable Development Network; and the support of the Unite Caribbean, 3A Conseils and Développement Territoires Conseil structures.
- Reception of more than 100 expressions of interest, illustrating the richness of the associative fabric and the potential for regional and international cooperation in overseas territories.
- Selection in December 2024 of 16 winning projects for a total of €1M.
———————————
The grants awarded range from €28,000 to €120,000 per project, for a total amount of €1,062,579.
These projects, designed to take place on a maximum of 12 months, cover themes such as health, preservation of the environment and biodiversity, gender, culture, sport, urban planning, education in citizenship and international solidarity, etc. They will be deployed from February 2025 in a total of 16 countries different, mainly concentrated in the two regional basins (Indian Ocean and Caribbean/Guiana Shelf).
The Guild and the various partners warmly thank all those involved in the support, the members of the selection committees involved in the various phases of instruction for their contribution to enriching the proposals and projects supported, and finally, naturally, for their investment, the 107 organizations who have expressed interest in this initiative.
With the help of
———————————
Discover the list of the 16 winning projects below
as well as a brief summary of their actions.
The process
Launched on September 10, 2024, the first phase, known as the “simplified application,” received 107 initiative notes in one month, distributed relatively equally between the “Indian Ocean” and “Atlantic Ocean” zones. This significant result demonstrates the interest of overseas associations in international cooperation and solidarity, as well as the dynamism of these actors, who are often not very visible outside their regional basins.
Following a pre-selection committee, 41 associations meeting the eligibility criteria and guidelines presented by the system were invited to continue the application process by submitting a complete application. Each association was able to benefit from individualized support from local structures dedicated to the CORÉOM program, for project development and the submission of grant applications.
Each application submitted was then subjected to a four-part review process, first by the various program stakeholders and then by independent reviewers. The quality of the submitted projects was assessed based on various criteria (quality of initial needs analysis, relevance and coherence of the projects, capacity of the organizations and their partners to carry out the actions presented, governance of the project-leading association, etc.). In total, more than 40 reviewers contributed to the analysis of the applications received, providing a technical perspective as well as expertise on the dynamics of local development and international cooperation.
Organized in Paris at the headquarters of the French Development Agency, the final selection committee was held on December 16, 2024, the day after the intense tropical cyclone Chido hit Mayotte. The committee brought together representatives from the AFD, the Fondation de France, and La Guilde, who had analyzed the applications, as well as the opinions expressed by the external instructors.
Pending updated information on the situation on site, the committee was maintained and each file was presented and discussed among the various instructors. These discussions also provided an opportunity to put the expertise into perspective and suggest recommendations for each project.
More information and contact: coreom@la-guilde.org
Discover the winning projects
Bek La Barre Association | Reunion Island
In Réunion Island, the Bek La Barre association has been using urban sports as a tool to mobilize young people towards their well-being since 2013. Following on from the first international cooperation actions initiated by the association in Soweto, South Africa, the project " Ubuntu Street Fit » aims to support the development of street training in Umlazi, a township located southwest of Durban, to promote physical health, mental well-being and social cohesion among the young people who live there. Through the renovation of an existing site, the training of coaches in street workout and the exchange of practices between South African and Reunion Island athletes, the project aims to include sports practice and more particularly street training as a factor of personal development and socio-professional integration.
The project is designed to last 10 months, for a total amount including valuations of 64,410 euros. The grant awarded by CORÉOM amounts to 51,528 euros, or 80% of the total amount of the project.
CEDEFOG Association – Guiana Forest Discovery Center | French Guiana
Through the project " Solidarity School Garden », the CEDEFOG association wishes to support the NGO SUWAMA, in Suriname in the relaunch of its educational solidarity garden program through the exchange and transmission of knowledge, know-how and technical skills in agronomy/tropical agroforestry, management and preservation of biodiversity, permaculture, sustainable agriculture and the promotion/use of local plants.
With this project, CEDEFOG aims to actively participate in social integration and education for all, by promoting cultural and intergenerational diversity as well as the values of eco-citizenship and international solidarity. The project will also support the Kourou Child Welfare Agency in creating and maintaining a shared garden with young people and their host families, and five young people will be selected to participate in knowledge transfer workshops held in Suriname.
The project is designed to last 11 months, for a total amount with valuations of 40,948 euros. The grant awarded by CORÉOM amounts to 32,758 euros, or 80% of the total amount of the project.
Konbit | Martinique
The project " X=Y Theater » aims to strengthen cooperation between organizations in Martinique and Saint Lucia working on issues of gender and gender-based and sexual violence (GBV). Through the sharing of innovative intervention methods, particularly social theater, the project aims to strengthen the links and intervention capacities of actors working on issues of gender and GBV. In the long term, the association aims to extend this practice to the entire Caribbean, by creating a sustainable regional network for the exchange of good practices on GBV and gender issues.
The project is designed to last 11 months, for a total oftotal amount with valuations of 48,500 euros. The grant awarded by CORÉOM amounts to 36,800 euros, or 76% of the total amount of the project.
Autism Reunion | Reunion Island
The project " Integrative approach to somatic care in autistic people » aims to provide better access to care and improve the quality of life of autistic people and their caregivers. It is based on improving capacities through training general practitioners and specialists in the islands of Mauritius, Rodrigues, Madagascar, Réunion and Mayotte, in the recognition of symptoms of somatic suffering in people with autism, as well as in their care, taking into account the specificities linked to autism spectrum disorders. This integrative approach is based on the joint use of conventional medicine, complementary medicine and “lifestyle” medicine. In this same global approach, the project also integrates paramedical professionals so that they can improve their understanding and the response provided to the specific medical needs of this population.
The project is designed to last 11 months, for a total amount including valuations of 83,622 euros. The grant awarded by CORÉOM amounts to 66,898 euros, or 80% of the total amount of the project.
ACP Environment | Guadeloupe
The project " Karibiodiv Dominica » aims to strengthen the capacities of the Dominican partners of the ACP Environment association to develop an education and awareness program for the preservation of biodiversity. Based on support for the creation of educational tools and educational actions, knowledge sharing and field workshops, it aims to raise awareness among Dominican youth about the richness of biodiversity and the need to preserve fragile ecosystems in a Caribbean island context. The project also aims to contribute to strengthening cooperation between Guadeloupe and Dominica by creating a sustainable inter-island network between young Guadeloupeans and Dominicans, promoting the sharing of good conservation practices and monitoring and evaluation tools.
The project is designed to last 11 months, for a total amount including valuations of 43,750 euros. The grant awarded by CORÉOM amounts to 35,000 euros, or 80% of the total amount of the project.
O'SPHERE | Meeting
" Antsanitia Sciences", a collaborative project between the O-Sphère association, the CCSTI Sciences Réunion and the AMADA association, is based on access to culture and science to: develop young people's knowledge of biodiversity and their natural heritage; support the restoration and protection of natural habitats and biodiversity; reduce the geographical isolation experienced by the village community of Antsanitia.
It is based on an educational project focused on the deployment of educational areas, the establishment of educational workshops and the organization of ecological activities and projects. It also plans to contribute to the dissemination of scientific culture by replicating the Réunion Science Film Festival in Madagascar.
The project is designed to last 11 months, for a total amount with valuations of 71,419 euros. The grant awarded by CORÉOM amounts to 54,819 euros, or 77% of the total amount of the project.
Agency for Equality between Women and Men | Reunion
The project " Let's dare to try mixed sports in the Indian Ocean » is based on the conviction that sport constitutes a universal lever for educating the values of equality, mutual respect and cooperation. This project adopts a coordinated approach to promote diversity in sport and strengthen gender equality dynamics in the Indian Ocean region, while supporting a reflection on the organization of more gender-balanced sporting events in the 'Indian Ocean' zone in the run-up to the island games planned for 2027..
It is based on: raising awareness and mobilizing local stakeholders to lay the foundations for collective reflection on diversity in sport; promoting good practices and strengthening the skills of the sports movement and educational stakeholders for an egalitarian approach in physical and sports education and education in mutual respect; strengthening the network of stakeholders in the Indian Ocean countries (Madagascar, Mauritius, Comoros, Réunion, Mayotte) for sustainable cooperation in favor of greater equality in sport.
The project is designed to last 11 months, for a total amount with valuations of 149,560 euros. The grant awarded by CORÉOM amounts to 119,000 euros, or 80% of the total amount of the project.
ART.TERRE Mayotte | Mayotte
With its low environmental impact, its short supply chain, the immediate availability of raw materials and its ability to promote local know-how and mobilize regional labor, the 'stabilized compressed earth brick' developed in Mayotte represents a major asset for local and regional construction in the face of the challenges of ecological transition and the shortage of quarry materials used in the manufacture of concrete.
The project " Amateco ", led by a consortium composed of Art.Terre Mayotte and CRAterre, in partnership with the National Housing Agency and the National Laboratory of Public Works and Building of the Union of the Comoros, aims to contribute to the revival of the earth brick industry in the Comoros, which was aborted in 2010. It is based on strengthening the skills of those involved in the industry to promote their professionalization while promoting local know-how and training young people. The long-term objective is also to encourage construction sites to be part of a more sustainable local development dynamic.
The project is designed to last 11 months, for a total amount with valuations of 84,373 euros. The grant awarded by CORÉOM amounts to 67,431 euros, or 80% of the total amount of the project..
Caribbean Cetacean Society
The project " Dolphin Pani Frontiers » aims to strengthen cetacean conservation in the Lesser Antilles, targeting Montserrat, Dominica, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and Grenada. It aims to fill scientific gaps through the collection of standardized data; to strengthen the local capacities of stakeholders to sustainably manage these ecosystems through the promotion of sustainable practices such as responsible tourism; and to harmonize conservation efforts by contributing to the creation of shared governance for marine resources at the regional level.
Conducted in collaboration with Ripples to Waves and the Dominica Sperm Whale Project, "Dolphin Pani Frontiers" aims to support the acquisition of knowledge about cetaceans in the program countries, to raise awareness and mobilize different audiences in favor of biodiversity protection and finally to strengthen local governance and support for public policies in favor of ocean preservation.
The project is designed to last 10 months, for a total amount with valuations of 141,698 euros. The grant awarded by CORÉOM amounts to 113,348 euros, or 80% of the total amount of the project.
Zofi Association | Martinique
Resulting from a shared observation between cultural actors from Martinique, Saint Lucia and Dominica on the training needs and new economic models in the sector, the project " An Ba Lanmè: what binds us » proposes an innovative approach aimed at revitalizing the cultural and economic links between these three territories while ensuring the preservation of Caribbean intangible cultural heritage.
By mobilizing art and culture, this project aims to strengthen Caribbean cultural cooperation, to respond to the challenges of training and professional integration of young artists and to contribute to the economic development of the sector in a sustainable manner.
The project is designed to last 11 months, for a total amount with valuations of 165,600 euros. The grant awarded by CORÉOM amounts to 120,000 euros, or 72% of the total amount of the project.
Group for the Study and Protection of Birds in Guyana (GEPOG) | Guyana
GEPOG and the South Rupununi Conservation Society in Guyana have been working for over 10 years to study and preserve the savannah ecosystem in consultation with local communities and stakeholders. The project Regional cooperation between Guyana and Guyana for the preservation of savannas » builds on their partnership to strengthen regional cooperation between the two territories. It is based on the organization of technical exchange missions and specific thematic meetings on the protection of biodiversity and savannahs in Guyana and French Guiana; the networking of partners from each association and the provision of resources and tools to promote the replication of scientific studies, participatory and community projects and environmental education projects.
The project is being built over a period of 11 months, for a total amount including valuations of 47,820 euros. The grant awarded by CORÉOM amounts to 38,256 euros, or 80% of the total amount of the project.
House of Photography Guyana-Amazonia -MAZ (Head in the pictures) | French Guiana
" Paneiro Luminoso », a collaborative project between the Maison de la photographie Guyane-Amazonie and the photography collective FotoAtiva de Belém, embodies a vision of education where art, and more specifically photography, are tools for resilience and territorial transformation to address social and environmental challenges, while promoting local identities. It values the local environment as a source of education, while stimulating personal expression and critical thinking through practical workshops around photography and light.
By adapting national educational programs to the realities of remote or marginalized Amazonian populations through the introduction of an interdisciplinary educational system in the school setting, Maleta Luminosa aims to reconnect these communities to their identity and their territory in order to contribute to their resilience.
The project is being built over a period of 11 months, for a total amount with valuations of 128,990 euros. The grant awarded by CORÉOM amounts to 84,589 euros, or 66% of the total amount of the project.
Nature Rights Guyana | Guyana
" Trans-Amazonia Agroforestry System (SAF) » is a cooperation project between French Guiana and the regions of Amapa and Para (Macapa and Belém) in Brazil, based on a partnership between Nature Rights Guyane, the Forest Knowledge Network, and the Tomé Açu Agricultural Cooperative. Its objectives are to promote syntropic agroforestry practices and support local initiatives that implement these sustainable agricultural systems.
"SAF Trans-Amazonia" has three main objectives: supporting local initiatives and increasing the skills of local stakeholders; raising awareness of the challenges of preserving forest ecosystems through sustainable agricultural models; and strengthening cooperation dynamics between French Guiana and the Amazonian states of Brazil in the face of these challenges. It also includes an agronomic component supported by the National Institute for Research on Agriculture, Food and the Environment Antilles-Guyane and its Brazilian counterpart, Embrapa.
The project is being built over a period of 11 months, for a total amount including valuations of 102,300 euros. The grant awarded by CORÉOM amounts to 74,300 euros, or 66% of the total amount of the project.
F'KRÉYOL | Martinique
Faced with the observation of a marginalization of Creole languages and cultural practices in educational systems and in public life, the project " Karakolor » aims to promote multilingualism through linguistic and cultural exploration in several Creole-speaking countries in the Caribbean and Africa.
Through a series of workshops, meetings and artistic events, the project aims to: promote Creole languages in the target countries and strengthen their integration into local educational programs; strengthen the oratory and linguistic skills of young people and adults as well as intergenerational and cultural links within Creole-speaking communities and stimulate creative expression in Creole languages in the artistic sector, thus contributing to the international recognition of Creole cultural practices and their influence beyond their borders.
The project is being built over a period of 11 months, for a total amount including valuations of 147,000 euros. The grant awarded by CORÉOM amounts to 60,000 euros, or 37% of the total amount of the project.
Kazyadance – The Kingdom | Mayotte
Since 2019, the Kazyadance association has been offering an artistic laboratory in its premises in Mayotte aimed at supporting the research and professionalization of young Mahorais in the performing arts professions. The project " TransENdanse" is part of the continuity of this laboratory, by integrating a component of international solidarity with the Democratic Republic of Congo.
In partnership with Kongodrama, a cultural association in Kinshasa, TransENdanses aims to support young Congolese and Mahoran people in an original creative process aimed at professional integration. It complements the educational and artistic approach already proposed by Kazyadance, by allowing young people to acquire skills related to artistic creation, project development, and the conduct of artistic and cultural education activities by exploring the aesthetics of other countries. Through this process, it is also intended to facilitate their acquisition of related skills developed through these activities (confidence and self-esteem, interpersonal skills, open-mindedness, discipline and humility, attention to others, etc.) by mobilizing in particular the tools and methods of education for citizenship and international solidarity.
The project is being built over a period of 11 months, for a total amount with valuations of 121,841 euros. The grant awarded by CORÉOM amounts to 79,724 euros, or 65% of the total amount of the project.
Tsiky | Reunion Island
In Madagascar, where 55% of the population lives more than 5 km from a health center, domestic and school accidents represent a major cause of infant mortality. Faced with these challenges, the project " Access to first aid in primary schools in Majunga » aims to improve child safety in the Boeny region by increasing access to emergency care. Deployed in partnership with local health and education institutions, it is based on training teachers and medical staff in first aid; passing it on to students to increase accident prevention; and equipping them with durable emergency kits.
The project is being built over a period of 11 months, for a total amount including valuations of 35,160 euros. The grant awarded by CORÉOM amounts to 28,128 euros, or 80% of the total amount of the project.