ESOMAR Foundation announced today it had awarded its fourth 2014 Local Initiatives Programme grant to French charity Clowns Sans Frontiers. The grant, worth a minimum of €5000 has been earmarked to support psycho social research into the clowns effect on children suffering from PTSD. The research will take place in Chad

ESOMAR Foundation’s President Gunilla Broadbent commented, “2014 has so far been a very interesting and exciting year for the foundation and we are very pleased to be able to give this grant to CSF, especially since the money will be used to do some research into a very “under researched” topic, trying to understand PTSD better

ESOMAR Foundation, founded in 2013, is the foundation of the market, social, and opinion research sector channelling the expertise and resources of the sector to achieve social good. Through its funding programmes, the ESOMAR Foundation supports researcher families facing emergency situations, access to education on market, social, and opinion research, charities, and the philanthropic sector.

Clowns Sans Frontier’s Project Co-ordinator Sebastien Bris commented “We thank the French market research community for nominating us for this grant. The money will go toward psychosocial research in Chad, which is a new project, aimed at helping central African refuges. ”

Clowns Without Borders organisations are unique and dedicated to performing arts in areas of crisis. Artists and project leaders work in partnerships with INGOs, Local NGOs, UN agencies, researchers to imagine new approaches and new methodolgies. Every project is specific and artists have to improve, create and innovate all the time to answer partner needs.

This aligns fully with the objectives of ESOMAR Foundation’s Local Initiatives Programme, which supports local charitable activities to continue to be the champions of social change in their countries. The programme is open to local charities operating in countries where sister society ESOMAR organises its major regional and global events throughout the year.

Both ESOMAR Foundation and Clowns Sans Frontiers are delighted to be able to provide additional capacity to the research project. Both organisations will be communicating the achievements of the project in the hopes of inspiring further support to the programmes of Clowns Sans Frontiers.