Community Self-Help Fund Program Conducts Grant Awards Ceremony

June 9, 2005

On June 9, U.S. Embassy and USAID representatives participated in the third Community Self Help Fund Grants Award Ceremony. The Community Self-Help Fund is a new U.S. Embassy Program designed to assist local communities implement small grassroots projects. This program represents an innovative approach to community activism and international development by rewarding community groups who prove they can garner local resources and volunteer efforts to help improve their neighborhoods. The program requires that the local community provide at least ten percent of the project's resources, thus ensuring strong cooperation between local communities and the U.S. Embassy.

The Community Self-Help Fund was launched in November 2003 and has proven to be a great success. Since its inception, the program has received over 350 applications and has provided $250,000 in grants to twenty programs, which have included such projects as kindergarten renovations and the restoration of water pipelines in remote villages. The Fund has selected thirteen projects for the third round of funding, and the U.S. Embassy and USAID believe that these programs will continue to help strengthen local communities in Armenia through increased cooperation between the U.S. Embassy and local organizations.

The Community Self-Help Fund is managed by USAID and implemented through Save the Children. The U.S. Embassy plans to announce a call for applications for the fourth round of funding later this year. For further information, please visit the U.S. Embassy assistance web page or the Save the Children web page at http://www.cshf.am/.