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International Partnerships

Supporting Cabo Verde - Emergency response to COVID-19 crisis

A stable economy is essential to safeguard the political and socio-economic development achieved over the last decades in Cabo Verde.

The EU Budget Support helps to limit the socio-economic damage in Cabo Verde.

On the 17th of April 2020, the EU allocated €5 million as an immediate response to the government's request for financial support. This money is designed to help the most vulnerable during the COVID 19 crisis, including poor families, people who lost jobs in the informal sector, elderly and isolated vulnerable people, providing for a minimum monthly income and food allowance for thousands of families.

EU Ambassador in Cabo Verde, Mrs. Sofia Moreira de Sousa, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance of Cabo Verde, Dr. Olavo Correia and the Minister of Social Inclusion, Dra Maritza Rosabal.

The EU furthermore mobilised ongoing EU projects on many islands of Cabo Verde to re-direct NGO activities towards Covid-19 emergency support with food aid and access to water, hygienic articles and radio info campaigns, local facemask production and psychological support to children and women victims of gender based violence. Thanks to these, many local community organisations are providing urgent assistance to the 9 inhabited islands.

#NuStaDjuntu means We stand together in Creole of Cabo Verde

The European Union's contribution over the past 70 years to human development is without doubt the international community's most visible manifestation of socio-economic solidarity.

Jorge Carlos Fonseca, President of the Republic of Cabo Verde

More than 500 vulnerable families and groups were reached during one week. Among the beneficiaries are families headed by women, women with disabilities, victims of gender-based violence as well as domestic workers, people living with HIV and prisoners.

The EU is also supporting an initiative of the Ministry of Culture, "EnPalco100Artistas" (100 Artists on Stage), which aims at softening the blow from the collapse of tourism.

enpalco100Artistas

Most local musicians are part of the informal economy, now suspended. Many of them are influential opinion makers representing the expression of the country's culture, not least the folk music "Morna" that was declared Intangible Cultural Heritage by UNESCO end of 2019.

Cabo Verdean musicians included the popular Djodje and Rapaz100Juiz who attracted a young audience with their beats, while two bands from the islands of Brava and Maio played more “traditional” Cabo Verdean music.

On Europe Day, Team Europe also hosted a solidarity reception, allowing vulnerable families and groups to have access to food baskets and enjoy the content to be broadcasted by the national radio. Artists included a group from South Africa (European and Africans) and 4 Cabo Verdean bands/artists.

Over one thousand viewers followed the event on the 9th of May live via FB and Instagram. These included several ministers, the Cabo Verdean diaspora in Europe and the US, and viewers from all around the world.

Schuman Day Cabo Verde 9th of May

With these initiatives, the work of artists living in Cabo Verde, mostly those who used to perform in events for tourists, as well as in restaurants and bars and are now deprived of any income, are being recognised.

In the words of the President of the Republic of Cabo Verde Jorge Carlos Fonseca: " The European Union's contribution over the past 70 years to human development is without doubt the international community's most visible manifestation of socio-economic solidarity ".