The U.S. Embassy in Cote d’Ivoire on Wednesday announced a grant of nearly $100,000 (54.12 million CFA francs) to improve the quality of life and livelihoods in rural communities in the country.
The grants include “nine small grants under the Ambassador’s self-help program and one grant under the Julia Taft Refugee Fund” a statement by the eAmerican embassy said.
A total amount of $99,234, or approximately 54 million CFA, the grants are intended to support community efforts to increase school attendance by providing meals to students, improve health status by improving access to clean water.
The project, whose beneficiary organizations are located in rural communities throughout Cote d’Ivoire, should also help stimulate economic development by facilitating agricultural and animal production.
The U.S. Ambassador’s Special Self-Help Program, funded by the U.S. Department of State, has provided more than $3 million (1.62 billion CFA) in assistance to rural communities in Cote d’Ivoire since 1982.
It supports projects initiated and managed at the community level, involving significant contributions from communities in terms of labour and materials.
The aim is to improve the living conditions of people in rural areas.
Also funded by the U.S. Department of State, the Julia Taft Refugee Fund provides grants to communities of current and repatriated refugees to create income-generating activities and promote social cohesion between these refugees and their hosts.
“Local community organizations know better than anyone else how they overcome their community challenges,” said U.S. Ambassador to Cote d’Ivoire Richard Bell, adding, “we are proud to support this year’s recipients.”
The U.S. diplomat stressed that the purpose of the two grant funds, the Ambassador’s Special Self-Help Program and the Julia Taft Refugee Fund, is to identify and fund relevant local initiatives.
For the 2021 edition, the grant recipients are community-based organizations.
The NGO Nin Min Monh has received funds for the rehabilitation of a school canteen and the creation of a vegetable garden for the elementary school in the village of Angamankro, in Sakassou, central Cote d’Ivoire.
It aims to provide a daily meal to 330 students to increase school attendance.
With this grant, the NGO Vie Sacrée hopes to improve the living conditions of 60 Ivorian refugees recently repatriated to the department of Guiglo in western Cote d’Ivoire from Liberia through training in poultry production techniques.
The organization will also help these repatriated Ivorian refugees to make soap and raise pigs, as well as purchase materials for the construction of facilities to implement these activities.
“The beneficiaries are returning home after fleeing the country during the 2010 political crisis. They lost everything. The assistance provided upon their return often includes money and food. With this project, we will help them rebuild their lives in a more sustainable way,” said Alfred N’da, president of the NGO Vie Sacrée.
Several other selected Non-Governmental Organizations are expected to receive a portion of the grants to carry out projects aimed at improving the living conditions of people in rural parts of the country.
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