Today, the Honourable Ahmed Hussen, Minister of International Development, announced a total of $50 million in funding for the following projects.

Project: Outcome Fund for Educational Results (OFFER)
Partner: Cowater International Inc.
Funding: $14.2 million (fiscal years 2024 to 2025 through 2029 to 2030)

This project will generate affordable solutions to strengthen the quality of equitable education and improve access to it for the most marginalized populations of Colombia, with a particular focus on women, girls, migrants and Indigenous populations in conflict-affected and rural areas.

Project: Bridging the Digital Gender Gap in Cameroon and Senegal
Partner: LearnSphere Canada Inc.
Funding: $4 million (fiscal years 2024 to 2025 through 2028 to 2029)

This initiative aims to empower women in Cameroon and Senegal by enhancing their participation in the digital economy. It will address technology barriers in digital-skills training and business management support and strengthen the capacity of local partners. The project will directly support 1,000 women entrepreneurs (500 per country) and indirectly benefit 5,000 to 7,000 family members and 300 additional women through partner services.

Project: International Youth Internship Program
Partner: Éducation Internationale [international education]
Funding: $3.1 million (fiscal years 2024 to 2025 through 2029 to 2030)

This project is part of Global Affairs Canada’s International Youth Internship Program (IYIP), funded by the Government of Canada’s Youth Employment and Skills Strategy. The IYIP aims to provide youths aged 18 to 30 living in Canada, particularly those facing employment barriers, with the opportunity to gain professional experience in international development. The project, implemented by Éducation Internationale [international education], will provide international internships to young people, primarily those in the school system who are having difficulties finding employment. It specifically targets those enrolled in vocational training and adult education centres in Canada, mainly in Quebec.

Project: Multisectoral Initiative for the Future of Youth in the Green Economy in Senegal
Partner: Fondation Paul Gérin-Lajoie [Paul Gérin-Lajoie foundation], Desjardins International Development and Crossroads International
Funding: $24 million (fiscal years 2024 to 2025 through 2029 to 2030)

This project will develop climate-responsive education programs to provide technical and vocational training and support entrepreneurship to contribute to Senegal’s youth-driven, climate-smart sustainable economy. This project aims to increase economic opportunities for marginalized young people, particularly young women, in 2 southeastern border regions of Senegal hit particularly hard by unemployment, low agricultural productivity exacerbated by climate change, and deeply entrenched gender inequalities.

Project: Institut Supérieur des Sciences Appliquées et de Technologie Pour une Économie Verte et Inclusive en Tunisie [higher institute of applied sciences and technology for a green and inclusive economy in Tunisia]
Partner: Colleges and Institutes Canada
Funding: $5 million (fiscal years 2024 to 2025 through 2028 to 2029)

This project aims to strengthen and diversify environment-related academic programs in higher institutes of applied sciences and technology, better adapt them to the needs of the Tunisian labour market and increase the contribution of higher education institutes to solving environmental problems through innovation and applied research. This project will improve economic prospects for graduates to tackle the ecological transition in Tunisian regions that are particularly affected by climate change.