The Ford Motor Company Conservation and Environmental Grants programme has announced 18 recipients who will share $100,000 to support their ongoing projects aimed at protecting the environment utilising various innovative methods.

The programme, which helps grassroots level projects dedicated to environmental causes, announced winners from Saudi Arabia, Oman, Jordan, Lebanon, Egypt, Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco, said a statement from the company.

For the first-time in the initiative’s history, the grants was extended to Egypt, Algeria, Tunisia and Morocco in 2015, it added.

The recipients of the 2015 Ford Motor Company Conservation & Environmental Grants are:

Saudi Arabia: Abdulaziz Alagaili, Zoology Department, King Saud University was awarded $10,000; Ghada Al Bakr awarded $5,000.

Oman: Biosphere Expeditions awarded $7,000.

Lebanon: Green Hand Organisation (GHO): Green Hand Botanical Garden (GHBG) – Iris Sofarana Conservation Garden awarded $7,500; Development for People and Nature Association (DPNA): My Environment, awarded with $5,000.

Jordan: The Children’s Museum Jordan awarded $10,000; Hikaya Center for Civil Society Development: Radio Al Najah – Generation awarded with $5,000; Hanan Qundil: Payback – Rad Al Jameel awarded $10,000.

Egypt: Khalid Ghanem: Asila awarded with $5,000; Marwa Helmy awarded $2,500; Usama Fatthalla A Mohammed awarded with $5,000.

Tunisia: DiversEarth: Marabout awarded $3,000; Taoufik Bettaieb awarded with $2,500.

Algeria: Djnoui Nasraoui awarded with $7,000; Bentaiba Abderrahmane: Warda awarded $2,500.

Morocco: The Moroccan Association of Microbial Biotechnology and Protection of Natural Resources awarded with $5,000; Abdelaziz Benyahia awarded $4,000; L’Association des Enseignants des Sciences de la Vie et de la Terre (AESVT): Exp’Eau (Exhibition and education on water protection)  awarded with $4,000.

Over the last 15 years, the programme has awarded more than $1.5 million to 194 independent projects throughout the Middle East and North Africa. Grants have supported projects that promote capacity building, species conservation, protection of natural resources and educating the youth in environment protection.

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, said the statement.

Since its inception, the programme has received 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, it added.

Winners are chosen by an independent panel of judges consisting of academics and leaders from regional environmental organisations. The judges are seasoned environmentalists or academicians from the region carefully selected based on geographical coverage, age and gender equality. They look for initiatives that demonstrate a well-defined sense of purpose, a commitment to maximising available resources, and a reputation for meeting objectives and delivering planned programmes and services, it stated.

Jim Benintende, president, Ford Middle East and Africa, said: “For the past 15 years, the grants have actively supported various grass-roots level environmental projects in the region. It is our hope that through this programme, we have helped make a difference in the communities where we serve our customers.”

“We commend the selfless efforts of all Ford Grants recipients and their continued commitment in conserving their local environment,” and are pleased to see that the majority of the 2015 winners have dedicated their work in awareness projects to educate their communities about the importance of conservation,” he added. – TradeArabia News Service