Canada’s High Commission for Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean has announced a total investment of CAD $139,900 through the Canada Fund for Local Initiatives (CFLI) to support two impact-driven community projects led by local organizations in Grenada. The funding will advance two key priorities for the tri-island nation: cutting-edge community-centered crime prevention and the creation of sustainable, climate-focused livelihoods for marginalized groups.
The largest allocation, CAD $90,000, has been awarded to the Grenada Community Development Agency, Inc. (GRENCODA) to roll out its *Building Safer Communities — Community-Based Crime Prevention* initiative across Grenada, Carriacou, and Petite Martinique. Unlike traditional top-down law enforcement approaches, this project centers local collaboration, bringing together the Royal Grenada Police Force (RGPF), the Legal Aid and Counselling Clinic (LACC), local business owners, and grassroots community groups to address crime at its root. The initiative will deliver targeted support to at-risk young people, expand community policing and neighborhood safety programs, and build local capacity to both prevent criminal activity and respond effectively when it occurs.
Notably, the project will adapt and scale evidence-based community policing tools and resources tested and refined in Canada, while fostering stronger, more trusting relationships between local communities and law enforcement. By centering proactive prevention and widespread community engagement, the project sets out to reduce populations’ vulnerability to crime, boost public confidence in security institutions, and build more connected, resilient communities across all three of Grenada’s islands.
The second grant, totaling CAD $49,900, will go to the Belmont Foundation for its *Island Futures Lab: Building Green Livelihoods for Youth and Women* project. This initiative targets high rates of unemployment among vulnerable women and young people in Grenada, equipping 30 participants with a comprehensive skill set focused on climate-resilient agriculture and green entrepreneurship. Trainees will gain hands-on expertise in climate-smart farming practices, food safety protocols, agro-processing, digital literacy, and small business development, alongside specialized training in business management and financial literacy. The project also provides ongoing support to help participants develop, brand, and market value-added agricultural products, turning new skills into stable, long-term income streams. Beyond supporting individual livelihoods, the initiative advances broader national goals of climate adaptation and inclusive rural economic growth.
Established to support small-scale, locally led projects that respond directly to on-the-ground community needs while advancing Canada’s global foreign policy priorities, the CFLI is a core part of Canada’s development cooperation in the Eastern Caribbean. For the 2026–2027 funding cycle, the High Commission of Canada in Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean has prioritized initiatives that advance three key regional goals: lasting peace and security, inclusive economic growth that benefits all community members, and improved climate resilience across small island developing states.
Commenting on the new investments, Her Excellency Brenda Wills, High Commissioner of Canada to Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean, emphasized the alignment of the projects with Canada’s long-term commitment to the region. “Canada is proud to partner with Grenadian organisations that are creating safer communities and expanding opportunities for those who need it most,” Wills said. “By investing in community-led crime prevention, entrepreneurship, and climate-resilient livelihoods, these projects support Canada’s commitment to peace and security, growth that works for everyone, and stronger, more resilient communities across Grenada.”
This announcement forms part of Canada’s ongoing engagement with small island states in the Eastern Caribbean, through targeted grant programming that centers local leadership on pressing social, economic, and environmental challenges.