September 22, 2014 We would like to correct the impression generated by recent articles in The Herald and Sunday Mail, which alleged that local legislators aligned to ZANU PF were recipients of the U.S. Ambassador’s Self Help Fund. This assertion is in error; no Zimbabwean MPs have received any funding through this program. The Ambassadors Special Self-Help Program is a longstanding assistance program that has existed in Zimbabwe since 1980. The program has provided small grants of up to $20,000 to assist small-scale community development projects improve the basic economic or social conditions at the village level. It is distinct from larger-scale assistance provided by the U.S. government. Specifically, these funds are meant to support small, short-term, community-driven activities that are designed to bring about a tangible and immediate improvement in peoples’ lives. The grants are made on a competitive basis and U.S. Embassy staff conduct the selection of recipients of these grants after assessment in line with priorities identified by the U.S. mission in Zimbabwe. These include income generation, education and vocational training, access to water and improved natural resource management as well as health, nutrition and social services to assist vulnerable or at risk populations. Again, MPs have no say in or benefit from the program but, as a matter of courtesy, we thought it appropriate to inform them of the programs in their constituencies and invite them to the signing ceremony. Applications for these funds are widely publicized and additional information about the application process can be accessed through our website: harare.usembassy.gov Yours sincerely, Karen Kelley Counselor for Public Affairs U.S. Embassy Harare
Posted on: Mon, 22 Sep 2014 14:53:47 +0000
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