US Pumps-in D3m to Promote Development

A total of US $ 105, 000 – equivalent to D3m - provided by US government through its diplomatic mission in The Gambia was on Tuesday disbursed among various community and human rights organisations at a ceremony held at the American Corner, Comium building, Kairaba Avenue.
The funds were channeled through the Democracy and Human Rights Fund and the Ambassador’s Special Self-Help Project. Both projects have over the years injected huge funds meant to promote development and human rights in the country.
“Today’s signing ceremony of the Special Self-Help and Democracy and Human Rights Grants shows the Embassy’s and the US Government’s commitment to working with the Gambia on Democracy, Human Rights, and Community Development issues,” US Ambassador to the Gambia Pamela Ann White told the beneficiaries.  
“In addition to designing your projects, each of you have agreed to contribute in some manner to the projects, either through land, labour or money,” she added.
The Democracy and Human Rights Fund (DHRF) provides grants to indigenous civil society organizations or Community Based Organizations (CBOs) to implement small, short-term, highly targeted activities designed to show measurable results, with an emphasis on change in support of human rights and democratic institutions. This year, the DHRF program awarded a total of US $60,000 to five organizations.
The Ambassador’s Special Self-Help (SSH) programme is a grassroots assistance program that allows US embassies to respond quickly to local requests from small community-based development projects. This year, the program also awarded a total of US $45, 000 to nine communities nationwide.
Recipients of this year’s DHRF are Beakanyang Kaffo in the Upper River Region, who received D364,000, Operation No Back Way to Europe,  D364,000, Rural Youths and Children Advancement Association D 336, 000, Youth Crime Watch the Gambia  D336, 000 and Women for Democracy and Development  D280, 000.
The beneficiaries for this year’s DHRF will, among others, embark on voter education, sensitization on illegal migration, child rights promotion and protection, building institutional capacities of youth crime watch towards a national strategy for youth participation in national development, and training of trainers on women’s rights and democracy.
Recipients of the Ambassador’s Special Self-Help Project were Wesley Lower Basic School with D117, 600, Koli Kunda Women’s Group in the Upper River Region D232, 400, Kwinella Nya Kunda in the Lower River Region D232, 400, Kembujeh Lower Basic in the West Coast Region  D49, 000, No Kunda Fisheries Association in the North Bank Region  D128, 800, while the Solar Energy Committee of Juffureh and Albreda got D117, 600.
Also among the recipients were Kunkujang Women’s Self Help Association, who received 128, 800, and Passy Chally in the North Bank Region  received D126, 000.
The beneficiaries of the Ambassador’s Special Self-Help Project will also embark on building of a school kitchen, construction of hand well, a school toilet project, provision of a concrete line well, rehabilitation of ECO library and resource center, a rice milling machine, a rural solar project for Juffureh and Albreda, and the construction of a waiting shed.
“As a professional, who has spent my career working on development issues in Africa, I can truly appreciate the impact the self-help projects will have on your local communities. Last week, I traveled to the North Bank Region and visited Kinteh Kunda Janneh-ya, where the Embassy provided a milling machine to a local women’s group. This donation touches not only the lives of the beneficiary group, but the entire community and its surroundings,” Ambassador White stated.
“Members of the women’s group now have more time for other income generating activities, which will enable them to provide more food to their families and more education for their children.”