By HealthTimes Reporter
Community based organisations working with people living with HIV/AIDS from around the country’s six provinces received grants worth $85 000 from the United States government.
Speaking at the signing ceremony on Friday, US Embassy Deputy Chief of Mission Jennifer Savage said these grants show US’ commitment to boost community initiatives that promote, self-funding sustaining development.
“Each of these grants represents a partnership between the people of the United States and the people of Zimbabwe. Through these grants, we can support the work of Zimbabwean communities to assist people living with HIV/AIDS, orphans, vulnerable children, people with disabilities, people who are economically disadvantaged and refugees,” she said.
The recipients will get the grants through one of the various funding sources that feed into the US Embassy’s small grants program. These funding sources include the US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and the Julia Taft Refugee fund.
PEPFAR set aside $60 000 for seven grantees in Harare, Bulawayo, Matobo, Chirundu and Goromonzi.
The recipients of the $60 000 grant from PEPFAR include Chiyubvunzo Arts and Culture Association, Orphaned Children’s Care and Support Trust, Shamwari Yemwanasikana Trust, Springs of Life Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe HIV/AIDS Activists Union Community Trust, Zimbabwe National Association of the Deaf and Zimbabwe National Association of Mental Health.
“As Alexis mentioned, the Ambassador’s Special Self-Help Program started in Zimbabwe shortly after independence in 1980. The Self-Help Program is a small office within the Embassy, distinct from the larger-scale assistance carried out by other parts of the U.S. government.
“The community grants program focuses on providing targeted grants to assist small-scale, short-term, community-driven development projects that bring about tangible and immediate improvements in people’s lives. This is what you do. You bring about tangible and immediate improvements to the lives of people in your communities.
“Your work is so inspiring! Because of your work and the work of so many others like you, the program has been able to award more than $2 million for community-driven projects over the past ten years.
“ I hope that our community-focused, non-partisan, rigorous, transparent and outcome-driven grant process also provides a model for others to follow. Today, we are awarding grants worth $85,000 to diverse community organizations working in six of Zimbabwe’s provinces,” said Savage.
The Julia Taft Refugee Fund will provide 525,000 to Terre Des Honunes Italia ONLUS to support the empowerment of women through soap making at Tongogara Refugee Camp in Manicaland Province. The Julia Taft Refugee Fund supports projects to assist refugees and focuses on initial impact projects. U.S. Embassy’s small grants funding focuses on supporting small-scale, short-term, community projects that bring about tangible and immediate improvements in people’s lives.
