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U.S. Embassy Supports Community-Based Groups

U.S. Embassy Chargé d’ Affaires Andrew Passen on August 16 signed five assistance agreements that will provide $63,000 in grants to Zambian community-based organizations and a community school. These agreements are funded through the U.S. Ambassador’s Special Self Help Program.

During a signing ceremony held at the American Center in Lusaka, Mr. Passen said that the Self Help grants had benefited the people since the introduction of the Self Help program in Zambia decades ago. The Self-Help grants program has been assisting communities and people throughout Africa since its introduction in 1964.

“Thanks to funds from this program, which were used to help an orphanage set up a chicken run, four brilliant pupils who were at an orphanage school are now attending Mumbwa high school. Their tuition was paid from profits made from raising chickens…It is my hope that the story doesn’t end here. One of these students may become a government minister, a scientist, or an educator,” Mr. Passen said.

Recipient organizations of the funds are from Luapula, Copperbelt, Northern and Lusaka provinces where they will implement community activities in beekeeping, fish farming, irrigation and cooperative development.

The grant recipients and amounts are as follows:
Edwin King Memorial Community School, Lusaka ($8,000)
Evergreen Co-op Shop, Chongwe ($10,000)
Lubuto West Beekeeping Group, Ndola ($11,000)
Talwaka Lumo Youth Group, Kaputa ($18,000)
Twikatane Fishing Group, Samfya ($16,000)

The American Self-Help small-scale grants program complements the larger, multi-year assistance of the US Agency for International Development (USAID). The Ambassador’s Special Self-Help Program (SSHP) aims at groups involved in community-based humanitarian or developmental activities. Grants normally range from US$5,000 to US$20,000.

Small-scale assistance to Zambian organizations is part of an ongoing commitment by the U.S. Government to support Zambian-initiated development.