PROSPER - Participation, Ownership and Sustainable Progress for Economic Resilience

The PROSPER project (Participation, Ownership and Sustainable Progress for Economic Resilience) aims to address multidimensional poverty in Southern Belize, particularly in the Toledo region, where poverty affects 60.3% of the population. The initiative focuses on supporting rural and indigenous communities, with a particular emphasis on women and youth, who face significant employment challenges due to low educational attainment. For example, women with only primary education experience a 12.6% unemployment rate, much higher than the national average of 5.0%. PROSPER adopts a participatory planning approach to foster local economic development by enhancing skills, entrepreneurship, and gender equality while promoting environmental sustainability. The project identifies market opportunities in value chains that can support local communities, ensuring that capacity-building efforts are both feasible and sustainable. A key element of the strategy is the creation of Local Action Groups (LAGs) to develop Local Economic Development (LED) plans through socioeconomic assessments and community participation. Additionally, the project incorporates lessons from previous initiatives, such as LISTO, and includes gender mainstreaming to ensure women benefit equally. Training for local NGOs, government staff, and ministries will help replicate the approach nationwide. Overall, the project aims to create a balanced approach that fosters enhancing environmental sustainability, promoting economic development, and ensuring social inclusivity.

Project symbol

BLZ/24/01/EUR

Admin unit

DWT/CO-Port-of-Spain

Start date

14/11/2024

End date

14/11/2028

Total allocation

1696713

Total expenditure

Status

Active

859772

Development Partners

European Commission, DG for International Partnerships

Country/Countries

Belize

Outcomes

Outcome 3: Full and productive employment for just transitions
Outcome 7: Universal social protection