Counterpart Foundation, Inc. : final report -- partnership project with Rossiskaya Zabota (Russian Care)

of Washington, DC and Rossiskaya Zabota (Russian Care), a Russian NGO, to upgrade the latter"s capacity to address the growing economic and social needs of Russian military families and communities. The project was implemented as part of World Learning"s PVO/New Independent States project. Following 2 years of targeted training and TA, Rossiskaya Zabota has emerged as a more effective, self-sufficient social service provider. Through staff development, direct investment in pilot projects, and humanitarian aid for children, Counterpart has helped to increase the viability and capacity of Rossiskaya Zabota to design, implement, and monitor its own programs. Joint project activities have played a unique role in enabling Rossiskaya Zabota to expand its outreach to greater numbers of high-risk children, families, and communities. Building upon the program"s success, Counterpart and Rossiskaya Zabota successfully leveraged an additional $1.7 million in financial and in-kind contributions to the initial $500,000 grant. This figure does not include $2.4 million provided in collaboration with Counterpart"s Humanitarian Assistance Program (CHAP) through 12/95, or the $2.4 million in bolt cloth that was shipped to the Zarya Sewing Center in 3/96. Specific project accomplishments include: designing four small-scale enterprises, three bakeries, and a sewing center to create alternate sources of income and employment opportunities; employing over 65 previously unemployed military wives or dependents; training over 331 military wives in NGO management, business development, computer training, on-the-job performance, and outreach and counseling techniques for social workers; and expanding Rossiskaya Zabota"s support network to more than 50 organizations, and the medical network to 9 Moscow region hospitals. A key impediment to Rossiskaya Zabota"s long-term sustainability is the inability to develop a sustainable base of local funding; fundraising efforts have borne little fruit to date, primarily due to Russia"s economic hardship and lack of philanthropic traditions. To stabilize the financial position of Rossiskaya Zabota, the Director of the Zarya Sewing Center (the first pilot project under this grant) became Rossiskaya Zabota"s Executive Director in 2/96 and began working with its Managing Director to design a multiple plan for joint commercial activities to provide financial sustainability for the institution"s long-term future. Upon completing joint project activities in 12/95, Counterpart and Rossiskaya Zabota continue to operate in partnership throughout the Russian Federation.