Deadline: Ongoing
The Embassy of United States in Gambia is seeking applications for its Ambassador’s Special Self-Help (SSH) Program which is a grass-roots assistance program that allows U.S. embassies to respond relatively quickly to local requests from small community-based development projects.
The Self-Help Program is a development fund to be used at the discretion of the Ambassador of the United States; to the Republic of The Gambia. The fund gives the Ambassador the ability to assist Gambian communities to implement development projects which they have designed themselves.
The goal of the fund is to promote democracy and good governance by emphasizing community participation in identifying and implementing projects that build the community, generate income and encourage sustainability and commitment.
The Special Self-Help Program is structured to encourage communities to be self-reliant and undertake similar activities on their own in the future. The program is intended to be flexible and allow the Ambassador to respond quickly and directly to requests from local communities for assistance with small grassroots projects that have an immediate impact and further Mission policies and objectives.
All Special Self-Help projects are community-based, locally initiated, administered at the local level and include a significant community contribution in cash, labor or materials. While the SSH program is designed to minimize paper work, there are explicit procurement, reporting and record-keeping requirements.
Funding Information
- The level of funding is also small from $1000 to about $10,000.
- The implementation period for individual SSH projects is usually short – less than one year.
Eligibility Criteria
All Gambian citizens representing a civilian, religious or social organization may solicit assistance from the Self-Help Program. The Program excludes all organizations of a political or military nature as well as religious institutions which limit the benefits of a project solely to the institution and its members.
- The proposal must be community initiative coming from an organization and not from an individual. The organization must also be registered as an NGO or CBO.
- The proposal must not serve a religious or ethnic interest. It must serve the whole community.
- The proposal must have a budget that is within the limit set for funding.
- The project must be feasible and viable. In other words, the community must be able to implement it as agreed.
- The project must also be sustainable. It must have an impact on the lives of the community.
- The project should be completed within 12 months.
- The project must be environmentally friendly and not have negative impact on the community.
- The proposal must help to promote good governance and democracy in the country as well as human rights.
Eligible Country: Gambia
For more information, please visit Ambassador’s Special Self-Help Program.