Awards Signing Ceremony
Minister of Community and Territory Development Mr. Amani Abdou and U S. Ambassador Eunice S. Reddick celebrated the U.S. Embassy’s 11 small-grants program recipients at the 2016 Special Self Help and Julia Taft award signing ceremony on Thursday November 17, 2016. The U.S. government awarded a total of $70,000 to local non-profit organizations working to improve their communities. Nine organizations received funding from the Ambassador’s Special Self-Help Fund to implement projects including sheep-rearing, moringa cultivation, clean water access, and environmentally friendly cookstove use. An additional two organizations received funding through the Julia Taft Fund to assist refugees and returnees from the conflicts in Mali and Nigeria through vocational training and income-generating activities. Ambassador Reddick told the assembled ceremony participants in her remarks that the United States is dedicated to helping improve the lives of vulnerable populations and promoting women’s economic empowerment.