• Special Self Help

This grassroots program aims at making financing available to communities, cooperatives, and village-based associations who aspire to undertake projects in small business, agriculture, health, education, and social sectors, but lack the means to fund the project in its entirety.  The projects that this program supports are frequently untouched by traditional assistance flows.

SSH projects are designed to be self-supporting or income-generating.  This program is an invaluable diplomatic tool and generates goodwill toward the United States.  SSH projects give an opportunity for the Ambassador and other officers to travel in country and meet people and learn more about the country.

How it works:

• Proposals are received year-long,
• SSH Coordinator enters proposals in the database,
• SSH Coordinator screens and conducts site visits,
• SSH submits a list of proposals to the Embassy Assistance Committee which preselects projects up to funding level approved by Washington.
• Embassy Assistance Committee forwards the preselected projects to Ambassador for final selection and approval

Government to Government:

 

In 2005, the USG approved a $ 5 million worth of food aid grant to Mauritania through Title I Food For Progress program. The Embassy and the Commission for Social Protection and Food Security (formerly known as the Food Security Commission) have monetized 12, 000 MT of wheat and 5,000 MT of Rice under the above program.  Proceeds which were generated from the monetization are used to fund projects that will promote food security, education, and health.

West Africa Ambassador’s HIV/AIDS Fund (WAAF)

 

Though Mauritania, supposedly, has a low HIV/AIDS prevalence rate, this may not be good news if nothing is done to fight the pandemic.  Mission continues to support more engagement of the GIRM in the battle against HIV/AIDS through funds made available by USAID.  With a $100,000 budget for the WAAF, the Embassy funds relevant and viable HIV/AIDS-related activities ranging from formal peer educators’ training, educational campaigns, and volunteer testing and counseling centers. These activities are implemented by local NGOs and coordinated by AWARE/HIV/AIDS, an international contractor based in Accra, Ghana.

 

Democracy and Human Rights Fund (DHRF):

 

DHRF is another Embassy funding tool.  It supports the promotion of human rights.  DHRF activities include but are not limited to the assistance for free press, the fight against female genital mutilations, the eradication of vestiges of slavery, encouragement of good governance.  In short, DHRF resources are used for small, short-term, high impact activities with the goal of encouraging change.

DHRF guidelines, selection process and implementation are identical to SSH.
All proposals are submitted for the Assistance Committee that looks at them taking into consideration Mission’s MPP and relevant topics to support.