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U.S. Donates USD$189,000 to Self Help and Democracy/Human Rights Projects

In an emotive ceremony on October 26, 2006, the U.S. government donated $109,000 to sixteen small community projects and $80,000 to five NGOs working to promote democracy and human rights in Cameroon. During this 2006 launch ceremony, beneficiaries of 21 Special Self Help (SSH) as well as Democracy and Human Rights (DHR) projects presented their live testimonies about how the projects directly affected their communities. DHR grant recipient Atangana Raphaël stated that his plea for assistance to the U.S. Embassy was like "throwing a message in a bottle out to sea." Never had he imagined that months down the line he would be personally thanking U.S. Ambassador Niels Marquardt for providing access to potable water for his village. The ceremony, presided over by the Ambassador, saw a massive turn-out of the media to witness and report on U.S. assistance to community projects in need. In touching testimonies, recipients acknowledged the tremendous support provided by the U.S. Embassy to local initiatives that bettered the quality of everyday life in the affected areas. A 2004 SSH beneficiary explained how potable water in his village now prevents illness, provides permanence and assures security from nature’s predators as women and children are able to avoid fetching water from afar. Of this year’s total SSH funds allocation, 58% went to support school construction in rural and underserved communities, 29% to water and health projects, 10% to infrastructure and 3% to income-generating activities. DHR grant sponsor Gabriel Henry Nicole, of EMIDA (Elimination Maltraitance Infantile Domestique en Afrique), referred to the grant he received to help combat violence against children as a project that has Cameroon’s future in mind: "Violence against children destroys the child of today, who will become the adult of tomorrow." Other DHR sponsors are carrying out projects in civic electoral law and transparency, education on eradication of Female Genital Mutilation, training student leaders in advocacy and lobbying, state-budget tracking, and dissemination of the New Penal code. Pleased by the diversity and motivation of project leaders, Ambassador Marquardt told all present, "it shows that you can do good things with the right people." (Photo Gallery)