Year-End Thanks and Solidarity Call for the Small Grants Program

Dear Partners and Friends of SEA Junction,

As the end of the year approaches, we want to thank you for participating in our activities and supporting us through the up and downs of this COVID-19 crisis. We feel fortunate that we have been able to navigate the ‘waves’, but remain conscious that many institutions and communities are struggling to cope with the health and socio-economic impacts of the pandemic. It is therefore our hope that in the spirit of solidarity and festivity, you consider supporting disadvantaged communities in Southeast Asia by making a donation to our dedicated SEA Junction’s Small Grants Program “Staying Resilient Amid the Pandemic in Southeast Asia”, see more information here. 

This 3-year program was launched in July 2020 with support of the China Medical Board (CMB) to provide strategic support to grassroots and civil society groups in order to strengthen community resilience, enhance their capacity to cope with the current situation, and address equity concerns related to the pandemic. In addition to providing funding, the program shares important COVID-19 and health equity information and knowledge, encourages cross-fertilization of ideas and interventions, assists in the development of networks, and conducts joint advocacy actions.

In the last two years, we have selected and provided grants to 36 activities in different locations of Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Timor-Leste, Thailand, The Philippines and Vietnam. The activities cover a wide range of issues and subjects related to the COVID-19 crisis, including but not limited to the environmental dimensions of the pandemic, online education and digital literacy; the role of arts and culture in COVID-19 response; addressing increased gender-based violence; and targeted responses for disadvantaged communities such as LGBTQ+, people living with HIV/AIDS, migrant workers and informal workers, and women in prisons. While some activities are still on-going, several initiatives have been completed and have yielded positive and long-term results. Some grantees also carry on with the activities they began with our support.

We have been able to fund more initiatives than planned thanks to additional support received from WIEGO, GAATW, and the International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB) in cooperation with Join Together Society Korea (JTS Korea). Last year, also individual donors have contributed significantly, responding positively to our fundraising call and  enabling us to fund a larger portion of the 170 submitted applications.

Needs, however, remain great, since as you are aware, this second year of the pandemic has been difficult for Southeast Asia with sharp increases in infection cases and deaths in the first half of the year only starting to decline last September. Untimely decisions and delays in vaccination have compounded the spreading of the Delta variant, with the pandemic and related containment measures resulting in disproportionate socioeconomic impacts on people, particularly on marginalized groups. Social protection efforts have been insufficient to meet the growing needs, assisting rather than protecting the most needy, with civil society and community groups scrambling with their limited resources to feel the gap. As fears grow for the Omicron variant and countries return to stringent measures challenges mount for underprivileged and discriminated groups.

We are thus again calling for your support to increase the budget available for the next batch of applications planned for January 2022 as we expect even more applicants than last year. Any additional contribution, no matter the amount, from individual donors and institutions will go a long way toward mitigating the impacts of COVID-19 and strengthening the community-based response to the pandemic. The funds can also be earmarked for activities related to issues or groups of particular concerns for the donor. We can assure you that all the funds are going directly and exclusively to the beneficiary organizations as management costs are covered by the program. Donations can be easily made via PayPal at http://seajunction.org/how-to-engage/donation/. If you prefer to transfer via bank, our dedicated account for our Foundation for Southeast Asia Studies is TMB #043 -7-18114-2 (please include name and purpose in bank statement). For those in the U.S., we can provide tax-benefits through our institutional partner, so just write to us if interested.

In the belief that our solidarity can help curb the pandemic and ameliorate its impacts, we thank you for considering our call and we wish you a safe Holiday Season, and a better New Year.

Best regards,
Lia Sciortino Sumaryono
Founder and Executive Director SEA Junction

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