Ambassador
Self-Help Program
Purpose
The US Ambassador’s Special Self Help (SSH) Program provides small grants for community development activities to demonstrate US interest in the welfare and development of Senegal. The program enables the Ambassador to respond quickly and directly to communities and associations which have expressed a legitimate need and demonstrated the level of community organization required to ensure the successful execution of a project. SSH provides a means whereby embassies can extend limited assistance for small activities (with major opportunities for local impact) without sectorial constraints often found in bilateral programs. The overall purpose of the program is to demonstrate US interest in the welfare and self-help endeavors of local communities.
Background
Since 1993, the SSH program for Senegal has supported 202 projects in the 10 regions. The primary objectives of the fund are to maximize the number of project beneficiaries, ensure that local ability is adequate to sustain the project, and encourage local initiative in developing activities.
Over the years, SSH has sought to cultivate contacts with international development assistance organizations in order to increase the program impact. These contacts have helped to identify projects with communities, thus assuring successful implementation of projects. Each year, the program funds about 30 projects with a maximum grant of $ 5,000.
Projects
The main goal of SSH is to help small community group projects get started and remain sustained after the Embassy assistance.
SSH can provide funding for projects carried out by community groups or associations and include such activities as :
- water realted projects (latrines, wells, pumps, boreholes, foot bridges)
- education (class room construction, school walls, desks and chairs)
- Health (health center and maternity construction, equipment)i
- income generating (sewing machines, millet and rice milling machines, chicken raising, gardening), etc.
Proposals are submitted throughout the year all over the country. Then, a committee project selection meets to serve and define strategy, review proposals, and revise priorities as needed for funding.
SSH projects are more likely located by the Coordinator while on site visits, Peace Corps Volunteers, or « the word of mouth » from former grantees. Projects are supposed to furnish a local contribution of at least 25% of the total amount requested for funding.
Site visits are required before a project can be reviewed for funding to check on proposal feasability, and during execution to follow up activity progress. By doing so, Self Help is committed to maintain its high success rate as an economic and development donor.
How can you be involved?
The SSH program is the direct responsibilty of the Ambassador. The day to day management is delegated to the SSH coordinator. However, we are open to any suggestion or proposal coming from other donors’ programs like SSH. In such way, conflincting interests or overlapping financing can be avoided, and donors can share project experiences.
Self Help Office, Kleber Building
Embassy of the United States, BP 49, Dakar, Senegal.
Tel : 823 42 96 - Extention 2231
