2020-2021 PEPFAR Small Grants Program to Support Community Groups in Lesotho

Deadline: 31 March 2020

U.S. Embassy Maseru Special Projects Office has announced an open competition for organizations interested in submitting applications for projects that support People Living with HIV and AIDS and Orphans and Vulnerable Children and/or Key Populations in Lesotho.

Funded by the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), the PEPFAR Small Grants program is for community-initiated projects which aim to strengthen health service delivery in communities affected by HIV and AIDS. The program supports community groups who support community-based HIV and AIDS care and Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC) initiatives.

Community based care refers to a comprehensive package of HIV testing, prevention, treatment and care services provided for people at risk of acquiring HIV and people living with HIV and their families.

Under the PEPFAR program, OVC is defined as children 0-17 years of age who have lost a parent to HIV and AIDS, who are otherwise directly affected by the disease, or who live in areas of high HIV prevalence and may be vulnerable to the disease or its socioeconomic effects. Applications should emphasize family-centered activities that lessen the impact of HIV and AIDS on children and adolescents, including meeting their most basic needs of health, safety, stability, and schooling.

A key population is people who are affected by punitive laws, regulations, policies, severely stigmatized and marginalized, and are disproportionately affected by HIV. This includes gay men and other men who have sex with men transgender persons, sex workers, people who inject drugs, and people in prisons and other closed settings. The PEPFAR Maseru Small Grants program also includes PEPFAR Lesotho’s priority populations, such as adolescent girls and young women, military members, herd boys, migrant workers, textile factory workers, and disabled persons. Projects should aim to increase Key Population’s access to health services and care.

Funding Information

Applicants should not request more than $25,000 USD. Please note that the PEPFAR Small Grants Program is subject to the availability of funds.
Applicants should include an anticipated start date of August 2020 and the project period should be 12 months.

Grant Conditions

PEPFAR Small Grants program funds can be used for:

Home-based caregiver kits and medical supplies
Training for caregivers and care providers
Equipment for OVC centers
Educational materials and training supplies
Equipment, materials and technical training for income-generation projects
Ongoing administrative or operating costs (but no more than 10% of total requested funds budget)
Structured and measurable prevention and awareness campaigns, workshops and outreach sessions

Eligibility Criteria

The Special Projects Office welcomes applications from non-governmental organizations (NGOs), Community Based Organizations (CBOs), or Faith Based Organizations (FBOs) that support community-based HIV and AIDS care initiatives and OVC. The projects need to be community-initiated and aim to strengthen health service delivery in communities affected by HIV and AIDS.
Consideration will be given to projects which:
- Are creative, original and innovative
- Support community-based HIV and AIDS care and home based care and/or address the needs of OVC, Key or priority populations
- Have at least eight project members
- Improve basic economic or social conditions at the local community or village level
- Support high impact, quick implementation activities that benefit a substantial number of people within one year
- Are oriented toward communities, not individuals
- Are within the ability of the local community to operate and maintain
- Are managed and run by local Basotho groups, e.g. Community Based Organizations, Faith Based Organizations and/or groups of People Living with HIV and AIDS
- Are a direct response to the initiative and aspirations of the local community