Gov’t gets $1.3M RESEMBID grant funding

The government has received €1,300,448.47 ($1,316,243.37) to execute the RESEMBID BVI SMART © Initiative — SMART Schools Project.

The Resilience, Sustainable Energy and Marine Biodiversity (RESEMBID) Programme is part of the Department of Disaster Management’s (DDM) smart community initiative to ensure that communities throughout the Virgin Islands become more climate resilient.

The disclosure was made in the most recent post-meeting statement for a Cabinet meeting that took place on September 6.

In the statement, the government said portions of the grant will be issued to various partners to execute respective components of the project.

It identified the DDM as the project lead and said the department will partner with Green VI, the BVI Red Cross, the H Lavity Stoutt Community College, and the government. The government said the project will also be supported by the Ministry of Education, Youth Affairs and Sports.

Approximately 14 schools across the territory will be participating in the initiative and the government noted that plans are being developed to transform participating schools into safe, green, and SMART environments.

These initiatives will encompass various aspects, including the preparation of disaster management plans, obtaining Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) certification to enhance emergency response capabilities, providing first-aid training, implementing improved school recycling programmes, enhancing and cultivating school gardens, conducting water and energy audits, as well as offering education on marine biodiversity and coastal resilience.

In the meantime, the government noted that the project timeline spans from November 2022 to February 2024 and stated that a public launch of the project is being planned for sometime in September 2023.