HERITΛGE announces small grants for African heritage projects supported by the Mellon Foundation
July 04 2024 - 9:36AM
Business Wire
The Heritage Management Organization (HERITΛGE) is pleased to
announce another 26 recipients of its HerMaP Africa small grants
for organizations, groups, and individuals working with heritage in
Africa. The small grants initiative is generously supported by the
Mellon Foundation’s Humanities in Place program.
In this second round of the program, over $333,000 has been
awarded to projects that focus on the protection and promotion of
local cultural and natural heritage and aim to contribute to the
socio-economic development of local communities and beyond.
HERITΛGE disbursed over $220,000 to 19 heritage projects in the
first round of the small grants initiative earlier this year. By
the end of 2024, a total of $1 million will have been awarded in
small grants to African heritage projects.
"We are extremely pleased to announce this second round of small
grant awards for African projects. We are already seeing what the
scheme is doing to unlock the potential of heritage in Africa and
make a difference for the development of local communities through
the work undertaken by the first 19 grantees," said HERITΛGE
Director, Dr. Evangelos Kyriakidis. "Heritage has the ability to
empower and we are already seeing local communities using our
grants, in partnership with local organizations, to support
sustainable development and safeguard local heritage for
generations to come."
The list of newly approved grants includes heritage projects
from Algeria, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, the Democratic
Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, The Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Niger,
Nigeria, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, and
Zambia.
To receive a small grant from the HerMaP Africa program,
applicants have to demonstrate that their project has a lasting
impact, develops capacity, builds networks, strengthens local
skills, and has a strong, measurable impact for the protection of
heritage and the benefit of local people.
A full list of the projects that have been awarded small grants
can be found here. Applications are still being accepted for the
next round of small grants for heritage projects. To find out more
and apply, visit our website: https://heritagemanagement.org/
About HerMaP-Africa: Made possible by a $5 million grant
from the Mellon Foundation’s Humanities in
Place program, HerMaP Africa aims to strengthen
HERITΛGE’s Africa programs, fund initiatives that link
heritage with socio-economic impact, develop the capacity of local
organizations, and help them preserve African heritage and
culture.
About The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation: The Andrew W.
Mellon Foundation is the largest supporter of the arts and
humanities in the United States. Since 1969, the Foundation has
been guided by its core belief that the humanities and arts are
essential to human understanding. The Foundation believes that the
arts and humanities are where we express our complex humanity and
that everyone deserves the beauty, transcendence, and freedom that
can be found there. Through its grants, it seeks to build just
communities enriched by meaning and empowered by critical thinking,
where ideas and imagination can thrive. Learn more at
mellon.org.
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Maria Kagkelidou, HERIΤΛGE Communications Manager
press@heritagemanagement.org