Deadline: 30-Apr-23
The U.S. Embassy in Liberia is inviting applications for Ambassador’s Special Self-Help Fund (SSH) assists community groups in Liberia to develop lasting, self-sustaining projects that benefit entire communities.
Since 2004, SSH grants have contributed to agricultural modernization, economic development, improving sanitation, empowering vulnerable populations (women, youth, and persons with disabilities), improving learning conditions, and expanding access to clean water, health services, and education. Each year, the Ambassador’s Special Self-Help Fund supports approximately twelve to fifteen projects.
The Ambassador’s Special Self-Help (SSH) Fund is a grassroots assistance program that began in Togo in 1964 as an experimental and modest self-help program but has grown significantly since. The Ambassador’s Special Self-Help Fund allows the Ambassador to respond directly to requests from communities for small-scale, community-based development projects that promise to have immediate impact.
Goal: The goal of this program is to encourage community involvement and the use of local resources and expertise to improve the basic economic and social conditions at the local community level.
Funding Information
- Floor of Individual award: $1,000
- Ceiling of Individual award: $10,000
- The average range for grant awards is from $5000.
Concept: The concept of self-help is one in which the people achieve a development goal using their own available resources, with material assistance as necessary, from the Self-Help Fund. These activities should be community based with the communities taking the lead and managing their own activities
Activities
- The program will continue to support construction projects, short term skills development initiatives, provision of school furniture and textbooks, as well as supporting income generation activities like producing vegetables, cassava, pineapple, peanuts, and plantains, animal husbandry and fishponds.
- Other income generation activities include provision of small-scale agricultural machines, farming tools and seeds. The program also supports health and sanitation activities including construction of hand pumps and clinics and well as maintaining clean environment.
General Guidelines
- The following guidelines have been established to assist in preparing a project proposal.
- The mbassador’s Self-Help Fund is designed to provide a flexible” one-shot” type of assistance (i.e. no recurring obligations of U.S. funds). Therefore, once assistance has been provided to a project through the Self-Help Fund, no additional funds can be provided to the same project. The potential for sustainability is a high priority in identifying projects to be funded.
- Self-Help assistance is provided only for projects that have the genuine support of the benefiting communities. The people must contribute a significant portion of the project’s total cost through labor, material, land, cash, etc.
- United States Government contributions through the Self-Help Fund are made only to development projects. Typical self-help projects are short term skills development initiatives, provision of school furniture, textbooks, as well as supporting income generation activities like vegetable, cassava, plantain farming, and animal husbandry and fishponds. Other income generation activities include provision of small-scale agricultures machines, farming tools and seeds. These are economic development projects that increase the community’s financial resources for undertaking other self-help projects on their own. Small scale construction projects (not more than 10,000 sq. ft.) like latrines, clinics, schools, hand pumps etc., remain a major aspect and the most visible part of Self Help Fund. Recently funded projects include construction of clinics, schools, hand pumps, latrines and rice mills and a business cooperative for women (processing cassava into farina/gari).
- Examples of types of projects that can NOT be funded through the Self-Help Fund are scholarships, workshops, or seminars (except training as part of implementation of specific projects) athletic or recreational projects. Self-Help Funds cannot be used to fund political, religious, military activities or provide support to government agencies. Unskilled labor, administrative or personnel costs, consumable items, vehicles, computers, copiers, and items which are non-essential to actual construction like floor tiles, trim, etc. are not eligible for funding.
- All projects must be completed in one year.
Evaluation Criteria
- Sustainability: The organization demonstrates a clear plan for sustainable activity or impact of the activity after the grant period of performance.
- Beneficiary Contribution: Beneficiary contribution is very important to the program as the name “Self Help” suggests and beneficiaries are expected to contribute significantly to their project. The contribution may include labor, local materials (sand, wood, rocks and bricks) land, cash, etc.
- Impact: The project benefits the greatest number of people possible or has significant community effect.
- Achievable within ssh Program Cycle: The application demonstrates the activity can be implemented within twelve months.
- Capacity of Grantee: The grantee has expertise and demonstrates the ability to perform the proposed activities.
For more information, visit https://lr.usembassy.gov/education-culture/funding-opportunities/