Prevention of Trafficking in Persons in Belarus
Implementer: International Organization for Migration (IOM)
Project Period: 04/29/2005-08/28/2010

The primary purpose of this project is to reduce trafficking in persons from Belarus particularly women aged 16-25 living in border areas, through: 1) increasing awareness among risk groups and the general public about the problem of trafficking in persons through a mass information campaign, lectures and seminars to be conducted by NGOs, and a visual arts contest and exhibition; 2) providing job-skills and job-search skills training to about 1,000 "at risk" women as well as victims of trafficking followed by an internship program for all trainees; and 3) assisting reintegration of the victims of trafficking by means of psychological assistance to be provided to 100 victims by NGO partners.

Community Services to Vulnerable Groups
Implementer: Christian Children's Fund (CCF)
Project Period: 09/12/2005-09/11/2012 

The program consists of two components: Supporting Orphans and Vulnerable Children in Belarus and Expanding Participation of People with Disabilities. The first component is aimed at reducing the number of children in state-administered orphanages and boarding schools and increasing the number of children brought up with their natural families or in a family-like environment. The project targets orphans and “social orphans,” i.e., the children of living parents, those unable to provide proper care or those who have been denied parental rights, as well as their families. The activities focus on working with families and social service professionals in selected communities of Belarus to maintain children in families and to move children from institutions into less restrictive environments, primarily a return to natural family.

The other component of the Community Services to Vulnerable Groups in Belarus project is directed at assisting people with disabilities (PWD). It was launched to augment the existing programming for disabled children to create innovative community services for disabled. This activity will also build the capacity of disabled persons’ organizations through training and a small grants program. The activities will help promote rights of people with disabilities and increase the public awareness of their issues. Project beneficiaries will include: orphans, vulnerable and socially disadvantaged children, children and adults with disabilities; parents and other family members; caregivers and specialists of the social protection institutions; activists of NGOs and other service organizations; and the general public.

Eurasia Foundation Program
Implementer: Eurasia Foundation
Project Period: 12/01/2001-09/30/2009

The Eurasia Foundation promotes the development of effective mechanisms for citizen participation in political and economic decision-making by engaging and strengthening civil society. The Eurasia Foundation's civil society program emphasizes projects that advance financial sustainability and create a more nurturing legal and regulatory environment for the civil society sector as a whole. Within its private enterprise development program, the Eurasia Foundation supports projects that further one or more of the following objectives: improve business practices, increase access to capital for small businesses, and improve legal and regulatory mechanisms to facilitate business development.

Agribusiness Volunteer Program in West NIS (AVP)
Implementer: Citizens Network for Foreign Affairs (CNFA)
Project Period: 10/01/2003 - 09/30/2008

AVP is a centrally-funded program providing volunteer assistance to farmers and agricultural enterprises with a goal of increasing incomes of project beneficiaries by improving agricultural productivity and access to markets. In Belarus, the CNFA AVP program is currently focusing its efforts on improving the performance of privatized collective farms with the overall goal of increasing the incomes of their owners and employees and establishing models of successful private enterprise activity throughout the country.

Community Connections
Implementer: American Center for Education and Research, Inc. (ACER)
Project period: 09/28/2005 - 09/27/2010

Community Connections (CC) is an E&E Bureau program supporting U.S. public diplomacy goals. Community Connections activities provide U.S. homestay-based business and professional exchange opportunities linked to about 50 local community host organizations in the U.S. for entrepreneurs, local government officials, other professionals and NGO leaders. The Community Connections Program has two components: Community Connections Business Program and Community Connections Professional Program. Individualized internship experiences are arranged by U.S. host organizations with different U.S. companies for business participants. Exchanges arranged by community-based U.S. hosting organizations for professionals are more group-focused.  

Combating TB in Belarus
Implementer: World Health Organization (WHO)
Project period: 09/30/2008 - 09/30/2010

The project is implemented by the World Health Organization (WHO) and will determine priorities for intervention and technical assistance to the national TB program in revising policies and guidelines, establishing collaboration at the primary health care level, revising the TB laboratory system, preparing training curricula and material, managing drugs and other supplies, and revising the TB recording and reporting system. The project will conduct relevant training of trainers among health care professionals, and will also provide technical assistance in establishing drug-resistant TB interventions, launching TB drug resistance surveillance, and introducing TB/HIV collaborative activities. Procurement of essential laboratory equipment to strengthen sputum smear microscopy will be considered.