Programs & Events

Self Help Project/DRHF

The Ambassador's Self-Help Fund

AMAZI WIVOMEYE ARARYOHA

The American Ambassador in Rwanda has at his disposal a limited fund with the purpose of providing financial assistance to small, community-based projects.  Every project requires a strong element of community involvement, such as contributions of labor, materials or money.  The community or association must show that the project can be completed in one year or less and that the work of the project will continue in future years.  For example, if the Embassy finances the purchase of equipment for a workshop, who will be responsible for repairs to the equipment in the future?  All revenue generated by the project should be deposited in a community account to benefit all the members of the association.

Project proposals will be accepted throughout the year on the last Friday of each month at the Embassy between 10am - 12pm.  Grants will be awarded in June each year.

Projects should be initiated by the community and should reflect a community need - not the needs of one person or family.  Special consideration is given to projects that have the potential to generate income or to encourage community development.  Examples of successful projects include the construction of a workshop, modernization or expansion of agriculture or livestock-raising, and the acquisition of equipment for technical schools or training programs.  Project funding is limited to a maximum of 5 million Rwandese francs, however the usual grant amount is much lower.  Requests for smaller grants are encouraged and often have a better chance of obtaining funding.

The Self-Help Fund cannot be used to fund certain items or activities. Some of these are:

1. Requests for sophisticated equipment such as trucks, film projectors, stereo systems,   computers, photocopiers, etc.
2. Religious, cultural, recreational, police or military projects;
3. Commercial private enterprises or assistance to individuals;
4. Salaries or unskilled labor;
5. Projects that are being financed by other donors such as embassies or foreign NGOs;
6. Revolving funds;
7. Chemical fertilizers or pesticides.

THE APPLICATION PROCESS  
Each year, the U.S. Embassy receives many more requests for assistance than it can fund.  Our annual Self-Help Fund budget covers 10-15 projects each year, but we receive more than 200 project proposals.  Only proposals that strictly meet the fund's objectives and criteria will be considered.  If your project proposal is accepted for consideration, a representative of the Embassy will visit your project site to discuss your proposal with you and to verify the details presented in your proposal.  It is important to include a map or description of your location, to help us to make a visit. 

A visit to your project in no way guarantees that it will be funded.  Each year a group of the best projects is presented to a selection committee, which makes the final decision.  Only a small percentage of projects visited will be selected for funding.

Unfortunately, the Self-Help Fund is usually able to select projects only one time per year.  This may lead to a long time between your proposal submission and the decision to fund or not to fund.  Please be patient and inform the Self-Help representatives if the circumstances of your proposal change in the meantime.

APPLICATION PROCEDURES

Project proposals are accepted throughout the year, on the last Friday of the month at the Embassy between 10am -12pm, but any proposals submitted after mid-April may not receive a visit in time to be considered for 2007.  Grantees will be selected in June 2007.

Please prepare two (2) copies of your request for funding, responding to the following questions as completely and precisely as possible.  We encourage you to attach supplementary information but formal blueprints or plans are not required.  The more information we have concerning your project, the better we can understand your needs.  

Your project proposal should include the following information:

PROJECT DESCRIPTION:
1. Name of Project
2. Location of Project (village or town, district and province)
3. Project Leadership
a. Association or community group.  Name and address or telephone number.  If you do not have a post-office box, please include the telephone number of someone who can pass a message to your group.  If the contact details change, please let the embassy know.

b. Describe your association, group, school, etc.  How is it organized?  When did the association begin?  How many members does it have?  How often does the group meet? What are your current activities?

c. Has your association received or requested funding from the US Embassy or USAID in the past five years?  Or from another donor?  Is the association receiving funding from another donor at the current time?

d. Project Leader (name, telephone, complete address).  Please include a map or a description of your location.  If possible, include the name, address and telephone number of someone in Kigali who knows about your project and whom we can contact if we have questions.

4. Project Description: Describe the proposed activity and how it will solve an identified need or problem.  Be specific about the purpose, size and location of the project.

5. Time required to complete the project.

6. Approximate number of people who will directly benefit from the project.

7. Community contribution to the project:  Describe (money, materials, labor, etc.) and estimate the value of the community contribution in Rwandan Francs.

8. Will the project generate income?  If yes, how much income?  Who will control this revenue and how will it be used?

9. As of now, how much work has been done on the project?  Who is doing the work?  How much remains to be done?

DESCRIPTION OF PROJECT FINANCES
1. Provide a total project budget.  Indicate which budget items are requested from the Self-Help Fund and which items will be provided by the group or community. 
Please note:  Funds are not given directly to the project; they are instead paid upon submission of pro forma invoices from suppliers who are providing the project with equipment and materials.  Funds are usually disbursed in three payments over a period of six to twelve months.

2. How much money has already been spent on the project?

3. Have other associations or government agencies provided funds to the project?  If yes, provide details.

FINANCIAL AID REQUESTED FROM THE U.S. EMBASSY:
Funding requested, in Rwandan Francs

SIGNATURES OF PROJECT LEADER AND OF REPRESENTATIVE OF DISTRICT, CDC OR PROVINCE:

The Project Leader should sign the project proposal.  The proposal should then be submitted to the office of a local administrative authority (the mayor, the vice-mayor or the prefet) for his/her signature.  Keep one copy of the project proposal for your records and bring the other to the U.S. Embassy.  We are available to accept proposals and answer questions on the last Friday of each month from 10am - 12pm.

Don't forget to include a map or a description of the location of your project!