The U.S. Embassy Harare of the U.S. Department of State announces an open competition for organizations to submit applications to carry out a small, community-based development program.

Started in 1964 in Togo, the SSH Program spread across Africa as a grassroots program that allows U.S. embassies to respond quickly to local requests for small, community-based development projects that have an immediate impact. In 1980, the Ambassador’s Special Self-Help Program started in Zimbabwe.  

Objectives

• The Ambassador’s Special Self-Help (SSH) Program awards grants to registered non-governmental, non-profit, community-based organizations to implement short-term (12-month), small-scale (between $5,000 and $10,000) development projects that include significant community involvement.
• Priority consideration is given to income generating projects that improve basic economic or social conditions at the village level.
• SSH supports projects in Zimbabwe with an average of $5,000 to $10,000 per project. Project activities and spending should be completed within 12 months with an anticipated start date between September 1 and September 30, 2021, depending on when funding is made available.
• The SSH Program receives hundreds of applications for funding each year. All submissions are reviewed in a competitive and transparent manner. However, given the limited funding available through the SSH Program, we can only fund a small number of projects each year.

Specific Program Description

Ambassador’s Special Self-Help (SSH) Fund

The Ambassador’s SSH Fund focuses on community-initiated income generating projects. These projects can support access to healthy food, natural resource management, wildlife conservation, water/sanitation initiatives, and other community projects.

• Examples of previous projects: Grinding mills, carpentry, weaving, boreholes, drip irrigation, water storage, fish farming, chicken rearing, and market gardens.

Funding Information

• Length of performance period: 12 months
• Number of awards anticipated: 8 awards (dependent on amounts)
• Award amounts: awards may range from a minimum of $5,000 to a maximum of $10,000
• Total available funding: $70,000 (dependent on final figures from Washington)

Eligible Applicants

• The applicant must be a Zimbabwe registered non-governmental, non-profit, or community-based organization.
  • Registered trusts, associations, schools, churches, etc. meet this eligibility requirement.
  • Individuals, businesses, and government entities do NOT qualify.
• All applications must include and identify a significant community contribution (cash, labor, and/or materials).
• The beneficiary members must be Zimbabwean citizens.
• Applicants must display sound management in the form of financial and administrative procedures that protect against fraud, waste, and abuse.

For more information, visit Grants.gov.