LUSAKA – The U.S. Embassy awarded $65,000 (K1.2 million) in grants to non-profit organizations to improve the standard of living in communities in four provinces. Three grants to Zambian community-based organizations through the U.S. Ambassador’s Special Self-Help small grant program will expand economic opportunities and support food security, education, and health. A fourth grant to Caritas Czech Republic through the Julia Taft Refugee Fund will establish a sustainable and commercial tailoring operation for asylum seekers, refugees, and former refugees in Lusaka.
Grants awarded through the U.S. Ambassador’s Special Self-Help small grant program will support the following projects:
- Construction of a chicken house for a project with Tirane Women’s Club to improve women’s livelihoods in Katandala Village of Chasefu district in Eastern Province.
- Establishment of a crop irrigation system project with Zambia Youth League to improve food security and household income for the community in Shangombo District, Western Province.
- Drilling of four boreholes with Revival Family of Hope Foundation to provide safe drinking water for Mai Chola and Kamukwesukeni communities in Kabanana and Zani Muone, Lusaka Province.
The Special Self-Help program delivers financial support directly to Zambian organizations with sustainable, innovative ideas to reach traditionally underserved areas or populations. Since its initiation, the program has provided over $1.44 million (K27.5 million) to 142 community-based organizations throughout Zambia. For additional information on the U.S. Ambassador’s Special Self-Help program, such as the guidelines, project criteria, and application process, please visit: https://zm.usembassy.gov/ambassadors-self-help-fund/).
Separately, the grant awarded to Caritas Czech Republic through the Julia Taft Refugee Fund will enable the organization to leverage its existing expertise and infrastructure to promote linkages with the private sector to develop refugees’ entrepreneurial skills and create internship and job opportunities. By equipping beneficiaries with important new skills in marketing and managing small businesses, this support will strengthen community livelihoods.
The Julia Taft Fund for Refugees is an initiative by the U.S. Department of State to respond to critical unmet needs of refugees. The Julia Taft Refugee Fund was named in honor of a former U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Population, Refugees, and Migration who worked tirelessly to improve the lives of refugees around the world. The fund supports one-time, low-cost interventions that address important gaps in protection and assistance for refugees and stateless persons.
Community members in Mai Chola, Kabanana help dig where pipes will connect the borehole to a water tank.