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PADF is linking U.S.-based Latin American and Caribbean immigrant groups that wish to focus on development projects in their home countries with training, matching funds, and other resources. The purpose of the initiative is to increase social and economic opportunities for families and communities in immigrants' home countries.
Given that Latin American and Caribbean immigrants send over $38 billion a year, that the region is the largest net recipient of remittances in the world, and that immigrant groups collect community funds to send back home, PADF believes that the Transnational Development Initiative is a promising vehicle to strengthen the foundation’s development activities in the region.
With this in mind, PADF has developed a two part initiative: it has created a transnational development fund which brings together funds from various donors to support immigrant group initiatives, and at the same time provides skill training in institutional development and project management, technical assistance and material, access to information, and implementation support to the groups.
The initiative was launched in 2003 through three USAID-sponsored pilot projects in El Salvador, Haiti, and Mexico. These projects were funded under a grant “Building Capacity of Immigrants to Serve as Development Actors in Latin America and the Caribbean.” Currently PADF- in partnership with USAID, Banco Agrícola of El Salvador, and other donors- is implementing two education related projects in El Salvador: “Manos Unidas por El Salvador” and “Programa ALCANCE.” PADF is also collaborating with USAID, Unibank, and others in Haiti to rehabilitate schools throughout the country.
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