Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, March 23 – U.S. Ambassador to Côte d’Ivoire Richard Bell visited the NGO Action pour le Développement et la Protection de la Famille (ADPF), a recipient of a U.S. Ambassador’s Special Self-Help Program grant, and the Women’s Association of Zélé to observe their progress installing a cassava grinding mill in their community.
The U.S. Embassy in Abidjan provided $9,000 in grant funding to ADPF for a cassava processing site that will assist 200 women near Man, Montagnes. The project will reduce the travel time required for members to process cassava and ensure grinding sustainability. It will help them generate income and support a micro-credit fund for future activities.
Since 1982, the U.S. Ambassador’s Special Self-Help Program, funded by the U.S. Department of State, has granted over $3 million to projects in Côte d’Ivoire that are community-initiated, community-administered, and include significant contributions from beneficiary communities, such as labor and materials.
“Local associations and organizations are often the social glue and economic engines of rural communities,” Ambassador to Côte d’Ivoire Richard Bell said. “They understand their communities’ needs more than anyone, and we are happy to support this year’s grant recipients through the Ambassador’s Special Self-Help Program.”