Welcome to the Republic of Palau: COVID-19 Response Project for Affected Poor and Vulnerable Groups Webpage.

Background:

On August 6, 2020, The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Government of Palau signed grant agreements for this ADB-supported project which aims to address the needs of poor and vulnerable groups in Palau affected by the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).  The $3.71 million project is funded by a $766,442 grant from the Asian Development Fund 13 thematic pool. The Government of Japan is providing a $2.4 million grant from the Japan Fund for Prosperous and Resilient Asia and the Pacific and the Ireland Trust Fund for Building Climate Change and Disaster Resilience in Small Island Developing States is contributing a $550,000 grant.

ADB and Palau Sign Grants to Protect the Poor and Vulnerable Groups from COVID-19 Impacts | Asian Development Bank

The Ministry of Finance (MOF) is the executing agency (EA) and the Ministry of Health and Human Services (MHHS), the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Environment (MAFE), Bureau of Agriculture (BOA) and Palau Visitors Authority (PVA), are the implementing agencies (IA).

This is the first social protection project that will enable non-government organizations to provide the support services to older people, and persons with disabilities, and victims of family and gender-based violence in partnership with the government implementing agency, Ministry of Health and Human Services.  The project also aims to improve food security and income generating support for small- scale agricultural producers particularly women, on the Island of Babeldaob.

Links to project documents:

Grant Agreement:

Grant Agreement (Special Operations) for Grant 0796-PAL: COVID-19 Response for Affected Poor and Vulnerable Groups Project

Grant Agreement (Externally Financed – Ireland Trust Fund for Building Climate Change and Disaster Resilience in Small Island Developing States) for Grant 0797-PAL: COVID-19 Response for Affected Poor and Vulnerable Groups Project

Grant Agreement (Externally Financed – Japan Fund for Poverty Reduction) for Grant 9220-PAL: COVID-19 Response for Affected Poor and Vulnerable Groups Project

Purpose:

The purpose of this project is to improve the capabilities of poor and vulnerable households to withstand further impacts of COVID-19, from 2021 – 2024.  The project will roll out welfare support to older people and persons with disabilities, deliver food security and income-generating support to agricultural producers, and implement multidisciplinary responses to address family and gender-based violence.  These groups have been particularly affected by the pandemic and were already vulnerable to the impacts of climate change.

Project Outcomes

Output 1. Welfare support to highly at-risk elderly and persons with disabilities implemented.

Output 2. Food security and income generating support implemented for small- scale agricultural producers.

Output 3. Multidisciplinary responses to address family and gender-based violence implemented.

Outcome Details

Output 1. Welfare support to highly at-risk elderly and persons with disabilities implemented.

Funding Source: Ireland Trust Fund for Building Climate Change and Disaster Resilience in Small Island Developing States (BCCDR) and the Japan Fund for Prosperous and Resilient Asia and the Pacific (JFPR).

Implementing Agency:  Ministry of Health and Human Services

Contractor/Service Provider: Belau Wellness Center

Funding Awarded:  BCCDR Fund $406,000 and JFPR Fund $391,000 = $797,000

This output will respond to the immediate physical, mental, social, and environmental needs of low-income, homebound older people, and persons with disabilities (PWD). It will provide assistance through

i. gender-responsive case management that facilitates access to the full range of services available in the community such as health care, social programs, and legal and family protection;

ii. community-based wellness promotion to enhance social well-being and alleviate loneliness among older people and PWD;

iii.  trainings for family and community caregivers on care and support for vulnerable people and PWD;

iv. assistance to develop home gardens by providing family caregivers with seedlings and planting materials and know-how to cultivate and use produce to meet nutritional needs; and

v. support for home improvements and adaptations to ensure healthy, safe and accessible living conditions.

The output will assist the government to deliver more effective social protection services to the older people and PWD through a holistic support that strengthens the capacity of individuals, their families, and their caregivers to address a range of factors that undermine quality of life, while encouraging deeper collaboration with community-based organizations and volunteers to strengthen existing social protection services.

Output 2. Food security and income generating support implemented for small- scale agricultural producers.

Funding Source: The Japan Fund for Prosperous and Resilient Asia and the Pacific

Implementing Agencies: MAFE-Bureau of Agriculture (BOA) and Palau Visitors Authority (PVA).

Partners: Palau Community College-Cooperative Research Extension (PCC-CRE), Republic of China (ROC), Taiwan Technical Mission (TTM) and Palau Small Business Development Center (SBDC).

Funding Awarded:  $1,306,966

The Palau Visitors Authority and Bureau of Agriculture, working closely with partners, will support small agriculture producers to increase production and augment earnings while reducing vulnerability to climate change, particularly sea level rise, by promoting upland taro production.

Activities under the output are:

i. promotion of food security and strengthened production support to upland and taro farmers through provision of cultured seedlings to farmers;

ii. provision of seed grant, extension support and business support trainings to selected women’s farming cooperatives to expand to dryland taro production and to encourage them to adopt improved business management practices;

iii.  establishment of an agriculture support center comprised of a plant distribution nursery and a food processing facility; and

iv. through the food processing facility, provision of guaranteed markets from purchasing raw agriculture products from the small agriculture producers.

The center will not only sustain project interventions but help add value to local produce by facilitating the production of new products including taro chips, ice cream, taro flour, and other products. Sale of processed food products will link with existing retail outlets, restaurants, and caterers. New value-added products developed through the food processing center will not only serve the domestic market but will promote 100% Palau-sourced goods in the tourism market once the border reopens.

This is envisaged to promote community-tourism linkages in the medium to long-term. The output will focus on small agriculture producers, particularly women, on the Island of Babeldaob. One of the key selection criteria for women’s farming cooperatives include either having among its members at least 25% who are low-income, significantly impacted by the COVID-19 economic slowdown or single-parent households, or propose a plan to leverage seed grant funds to serve low-income or single-parent households in their community.

Output 3. Multidisciplinary responses to address family and gender-based violence implemented.

Funding Source: ADB Asian Development Fund 13 Gender thematic pool

Implementing Agency:  Ministry of Health and Human Service

Contractors/Service Providers:

Semesemel a Klengelakel (SKO) Funding Awarded:  $286,000

Belau Association of Non-Government Organizations (BANGO)   Funding Awarded:   $209,734

This output will address two priority gaps in the current response to family violence and GBV, which are at risk of being aggravated by the pandemic:

i. lack of integrated case management support to assist survivors in navigating the legal, health, and social service systems; and

ii. lack of sustained prevention-oriented communications.

The project will address these gaps by

a. delivering integrated case management support for survivors, including a free 24-hour hotline, crisis counseling, and multisectoral referral pathways;

b. implementing a social marketing campaign that both informs key service providers of available services and referral pathways as well as changing community social norms on GBV.

This output will help ensure that survivors of family violence and GBV especially during the pandemic will receive high quality, culturally sensitive, non-judgmental services in a manner that fosters self-respect and independence through the involvement of non government organizations (NGOs).

Project Administration Manual:

COVID-19 Response for Affected Poor and Vulnerable Groups Project: Project Administration Manual

Project Organization Structure

Project Management Unit