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  • IICA launches crowdfunding campaign to strengthen food security Antigua and Barbuda, Haiti in the face of COVID-19

IICA launches crowdfunding campaign to strengthen food security Antigua and Barbuda, Haiti in the face of COVID-19

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The Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) launched a collective crowdfunding or micro-financing campaign entitled #IJointheIICAChallenge to promote projects aimed at strengthening food security in rural communities of Haiti and Antigua and Barbuda, which are suffering from extreme vulnerability in the face of the pandemic caused by the novel coronavirus.

The campaign, which targets people from all regions of the Americas, seeks to obtain resources that will enable the provision of basic agricultural inputs such as seeds, irrigation equipment and other supplies for thousands of people living in the communities of Codrington and Burkes Sanderson, in Antigua and Barbuda; and Ducis, Les Anglais, Camp Perrin, Bas Boen and Beaumont, in Haiti.

“I am particularly interested in obtaining financing for irrigation, because we live in an arid country and water rationing is very important, and even more so with the drought. This project would be very beneficial for us in Antigua and Barbuda”, explained Neil Gomes, a small farmer from one of the areas that would receive support from IICA.

In general, Caribbean countries are heavily dependent on imports for food supply, which they pay for with the revenue generated from the tourism industry.

Tourism has come to a halt as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, which has affected the food security of the region as well as the availability of agricultural labor to carry out farming activities.

This situation is further exacerbated by the high vulnerability of Haiti, Antigua and Barbuda, and practically every country in the Caribbean to the effects of climate change, including extreme weather events and drought.

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”Through the #IJointheIICAChallenge campaign, we want to support the Caribbean countries in one of their most urgent and critical needs, that is, food security in rural areas. This is the first crowdfunding project for IICA, which is why we have identified regions with very specific needs for cooperation, with the goal of executing concrete actions with the resources obtained, in an attempt to benefit these specific populations”, stated Manuel Otero, Director General of IICA.

Donations for the #IJointheIICAChallenge campaign can be of any amount. The fundraising will be done through the GoFundMe platform at https://gf.me/u/yn5cg6, and can also be accessed through the IICA website, https://iica.int/en/crowdfunding.

In the United States, contributions can be made at https://www.oasfcu.org/.

On the Institute’s website, participants can find all the information pertaining to the fundraising project in Spanish, English, French and Portuguese.

The #IJointheIICAChallenge campaign will be receiving donations for a period of three months, and will provide periodic updates on the progress of the fundraiser.

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REQUEST FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST

(CONSULTING SERVICES – INDIVIDUAL SELECTION)

 

OECS MSME Guarantee Facility Project

Loan No.: IDA-62670, IDA-62660, IDA-62640, IBRD-88830, IDA-62650

Assignment Title: Senior Operating Officer (SOO)

Reference No. KN-ECPCGC-207852-CS-INDV

 

The Governments of Antigua and Barbuda, Commonwealth of Dominica, Grenada, St. Lucia and St. Vincent and the Grenadines have received financing in the amount of US$10 million equivalent from the World Bank towards the cost of establishing a partial credit guarantee scheme, and they intend to apply part of the proceeds to payments for goods, and consulting services to be procured under this project. 

The consultant will serve as the “Senior Operating Officer (SOO)” for the ECPCGC and should possess extensive knowledge of MSME lending with some direct experience lending to Micro, small and medium-sized businesses, knowledge of the internal control processes necessary for a lending operation and the ability to design and implement risk mitigation procedures. The ideal candidate should possess an Undergraduate Degree from a reputable college or university, preferably in Business, Accounting, Banking or related field, with a minimum of 5 years’ experience in lending, inclusive of MSME lending. The initial employment period will be for two years on a contractual basis. Renewal of the contract will be subject to a performance evaluation at the end of the contractual period. The assignment is expected to begin on September 30th, 2021.  The consultant will report directly to the Chief Executive Officer of the ECPCGC.

The detailed Terms of Reference (TOR) for the assignment can be viewed by following the attached link below. 

 

https://bit.ly/3iVannm

 

The Eastern Caribbean Partial Credit Guarantee Corporation (ECPCGC) now invites eligible “Consultants” to indicate their interest in providing the Services. Interested Consultants should provide information demonstrating that they have:

  • An Undergraduate Degree from a reputable college or university, preferably in Business, Finance, Banking or related field; and
  • Minimum of 5 years’ experience in MSME lending. Applicants should also have:
  • The ability to design and implement risk management procedures 
  • Extensive knowledge of MSME lending with some direct experience lending to small and medium-sized businesses
  • Extensive knowledge of MSME banking operations
  • Knowledge of the internal controls necessary for a lending operation and the ability to design and implement risk management procedures
  • Experience developing and presenting information in public, including responding to questions in real-time
  • Experience lending to MSMEs located in the ECCU
  • Knowledge of marketing and communicating with the MSME sector
  • Ability to draft procedures to be used in a lending operation
  • Familiarity with the mechanics of a loan guarantee program
  • Exceptional written, oral, interpersonal, and presentation skills, and
  • Proficiency in the use of Microsoft Office suite.

The attention of interested Individual Consultants is drawn to Section III, Paragraphs 3.14, 3.16, and 3.17 of the World Bank’s Procurement Regulations for IPF Borrowers July 2016, [revised November 2017] (“Procurement Regulations”), setting forth the World Bank’s policy on conflict of interest. A Consultant will be selected in accordance with the Approved Selection Method for Individual Consultants set out in the clause 7.34 of the World Bank Procurement Regulations for IPF Borrowers. 

 

Further information can be obtained at the address below during office hours 0800 to 1700 hours:

Eastern Caribbean Partial Credit Guarantee Corporation

Brid Rock, Basseterre,

St. Kitts.

Expressions of interest must be delivered in a written form by e-mail by August 11th, 2021, to [email protected]

 

For further information, please contact:

Carmen Gomez-Trigg                                                            Bernard Thomas

Chief Executive Officer                                                          Chief Financial Officer

Tel: 868-620-8144                                                                  Tel: 869-765-2385

Email: [email protected]                                          [email protected]