Ford To Provide USD100, 000 to Help Environmental Projects in the Middle East

Ford To Provide USD100, 000 to Help Environmental Projects in the Middle East

  

  • Conservation & Environmental Grants is now open to receive applications from existing environmental projects until 14 September, 2014
  • Adds Yemen for the first time in addition to Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain, Lebanon, Jordan and Iraq
  • Over 150 environmental projects from the GCC, Jordan, Lebanon and Iraq have benefitted to date from the Ford Grants 

DUBAI, UAE, August 14, 2014 – Ford Motor Company will award a total of USD100,000 in Conservation and Environmental Grants to help fund existing environmental projects in the Middle East region. For the first time, the programme is extended to environmental projects in Yemen in addition to the GCC, Lebanon, Jordan and Iraq. The deadline to send applications is on September 14, 2014. 

Ahead of its 15th anniversary next year, the Ford Grants, which help grass-roots level projects in the Middle East, are already looking back on more than 150 successful green initiatives.

Over USD1 million has been allocated since the initiative first started in 2000 and the support helped projects to study and conserve the region’s rich biodiversity, to support recycling schemes and green building initiatives, as well as to raise conservation awareness. The Ford Grants is one of the largest corporate initiatives of its kind in the region, created to empower individuals and non-profit groups that are donating their time and efforts to preserve the environmental well-being of their communities. 

In terms of monetary contributions, the Grants programme has had a significant impact in Lebanon, where a total of 37 projects received grants worth US$322,500 to date. In the Gulf, green projects from Saudi Arabia received the largest amount of support with a total of US$193,000 given to organisations in the Kingdom since 2000. Environmental projects in Oman received nearly US$160,000 in funding, while UAE-based projects were given US$149,500.

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“As we look back on the programme’s heritage in the region, we are increasingly aware of the impact the Ford Grants could have had on the local communities where we serve our customers, supporting environmental groups and helping educate the public on important issues,” said Kalyana Sivagnanam, director of Ford Middle East & North Africa. “We are proud of the Ford Grants initiative in this region and of all the projects it has helped go further.” 

In 2013, 17 environmental projects from Lebanon, Jordan, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Iraq also received various grants. All of the entries awarded this year showed diverse methods in promoting environmental awareness and conservation across a broad spectrum of communities in the region. Themes ranged from awareness campaigns on saving water and sorting waste, awareness campaigns on renewable energy, a smartphone app allowing users to conduct simple energy audits at home and share with neighbours, and many more. 

Individuals, community and non-profit groups that have projects currently running in the areas of preservation of the natural environment, environmental education or conservation engineering can apply via the online form (http://fordmegrants.com/en) until September 14, 2014, for a chance to share the total grants of USD100,000. Eligible countries include: Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq and Yemen. The Ford Motor Company Conservation & Environmental Grants has seen support from various governmental and non-governmental environmental authorities from around the Middle East, including the World Wide Fund for Nature, the Emirates Wildlife Society, the Arab Forum for Environment & Development (AFED) and UNESCO Doha. 

Winners are chosen by an independent panel of jurors consisting of academics, as well as experts from environmental organisations. The judges – who are carefully selected in association with UNESCO Doha, based on geographical coverage, age and gender equality – look for initiatives that demonstrate a well-defined sense of purpose, a commitment to maximizing available resources, and a reputation for meeting objectives and delivering planned programmes and services. 

For more information about the Ford Motor Company Conservation & Environmental Grants, please visit http://me.ford.com or write to fmegrant@ford.com.  

Note to the Editor: 

The 2013 Ford Motor Company Conservation and Environmental Grants winners are: 

LEBANON

1 - Arcenciel Environment program

Project: Sodak the Champion

            Grant: $6,000 

2 - Association for Forests, Development and Conservation 

            Project: GLOBE Lebanon

            Grant: $3,000

3 - Lebanese Center for Active Citizenship

Project: Recycling and Composting of Organic Waste in Bebnine, Akkar

            Grant: $10,000 

4 - Al Safadi Foundation

            Project: Save the River (Sarkhat Nahr)

            Grant: $5,000 

5 - Lebanese Solar Energy Society –(LSES)

            Project: EcoTruck

            Grant: $10,000

JORDAN

6 - The Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature (RSCN)

Project: Integrating Falconry Display in a Unique Safari Program in Eastern Jordan at Shaumari Wildlife Reserve

Grant: $7,000 

7 - Raed Abu Hayyaneh

            Project: Learning Tree

            Grant: $5,000 

8 - Jordanian Hashemite Fund for Human Development (JOHUD)

            Project: JO-Green Competition

            Grant: $6,000 

9 - Ahmad Jamil Al Kofahi

            Project: Household Guide For Safe Use of Household Chemicals

            Grant: $5,000 

10 - Prince Hamzah bin Al Hussein School

            Project: Club Jordan Green School in Prince Hamzah Bin Al Hussein

            Grant: $5,000 

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

11 - Dubai Carbon Centre of Excellence

        Project: Virtual Energy

        Grant: $5,000 

12 - Emirates Diving Association

            Project: Urchins vs Fish: Who will help our reefs under climate change?

            Grant: $5,750 

13 - New York University Abu Dhabi

            Project: Enhancing coral reef recovery in the Arabian Gulf

            Grant: $5,750 

14 - Biosphere Expeditions

            Project: Involving Local People and the Community in Desert Species Conservation in the UAE

            Grant: $5,000 

IRAQ

15 – Independent Media in Kurdistan

            Project: Save the Water

          Grant: $2,500 

QATAR

16 - Georgetown University – Qatar

            Project: Georgetown Recycles!

            Grant: $7,500 

SAUDI ARABIA

17 – Aishah Abdallah

            Project: Curriculum Design for Wilderness Leadership Education in Arabia

            Grant: $6,500

 About Ford Motor Company

Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Mich., manufactures or distributes automobiles across six continents. With about 180,000 employees and 65 plants worldwide, the company’s automotive brands include Ford and Lincoln. The company provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. For more information about Ford and its products worldwide please visit www.corporate.ford.com. 

Ford’s history in the Middle East goes back more than 60 years. The company’s local importer-dealers operate more than 155 facilities in the region and directly employ more than 7,000 people, the majority of whom are Arab Nationals. For more information on Ford Middle East, please visit www.me.ford.com 

Ford Middle East is also a responsible corporate citizen with currently three CSR initiatives running in the region including the Ford Motor Company Conservation & Environmental Grants, Ford Warriors in Pink® breast cancer awareness campaign and Ford Driving Skills for Life safe driving awareness programme for young drivers and teens. 

The Ford Grants is a grass-root level initiative that has offered US$1.4million in grants to more than 150 Middle Eastern environmental projects since 2000. Ford Warriors in Pink® is a breast cancer community-based awareness initiative recognising the strength and courage it takes to deal with the everyday challenges of battling breast cancer throughout the year.  Ford Driving Skills for Life is a free programme designed to impart safe driving practices to students to help improve their road safety record.