 The 7th Operational Program of the UNDP Global Environment Facility Small Grants Program launched on Monday with a check presentations for the first three approved projects. We have a report on the ceremony held at the Finance Administrative Center. The Sufra Marine Management Association, SMMA, Radio Voice St. Lucia, and the St. Lucia Civil Workers Multipurpose Cooperative Society are the first recipients of the UNDP Global Environment Facility Small Grants Program, 7th Operational Phase, receiving their checks during its launch on November 9. To go towards its project to use environmental and business principles in growing and processing cassava, the Cooperative Society has received US$35,377. Radio Voice St. Lucia received US$50,000 for its project to strengthen the economic capacity of gender-based violence victims to create sustainable livelihoods. And US$42,407 went to SMMA to go toward addressing water quality issues faced in the Sufra watershed and Bay. To fund these and future projects, the Jeff Small Grants Program expects an investment of EC$6.4 million over the four-year life of the 7th Operational Program. This includes US$200,000, which is the amount of Jeff resources that a given country can access in a replenishment period, and US$1 million in core funding with a minimum co-financing of US$1.2 million. National Coordinator of Jeff S.G.P. in St. Lucia, Giles Romulus, says the sooner the island can absorb the funding with worthy projects, the more it can request. But this to happen, as our dear chair says, we need NGOs that are vibrant, that would rise and come to us for the funding, that would implement the projects on time, that would document the results so that they can have a rapid turnaround. Right now, because of the issues in the environment, the climate change and so on, there's a desperation entering the narrative now. Priorities for upscaling in St. Lucia under this operational phase of the Jeff Small Grants Program are apiculture, climate smart agriculture, organic farming, health and community-based management of areas for conservation and livelihoods. Research and innovation is the overarching agenda during this phase. Minister for Education, Innovation, Gender Relations and Sustainable Development, Honourable Dr. Gail Rigabet, anticipates a day when research and innovation will permeate all sections of society. What we are doing here is consciously, purposely, deliberately seeking to create opportunity. With this launch of the several operational program of the Jeff S.G.P. UNDP, I see a nation that facilitates demand-driven research and innovation. St. Lucia can and will become the regional leader and set the precedent in the Americas for research and innovation. The ceremony was twofold as a publication funded by Jeff S.G.P. was also launched and presented to Honourable Dr. Gail Rigabet. The book titled An Introductory Guide to Organic Fertilizers and Pesticides, Safer and Healthier Alternative for All, was prepared by the Bellevue Farmers Cooperative in the previous operational phase. Between 2012 and 2019, the Jeff Small Grants Program in St. Lucia has supported 97 projects to the tune of US $6.3 million. These projects combined employed 1,612 individuals, trained 12,000 and generated US $737,000 in income.