Remarks

Remarks by Ambassador Dennise Mathieu
Ambassador’s Special Self-Help Signing Ceremony
November 17, 2008

Good morning and welcome to our Self-Help ceremony.  I would like to express my sincere appreciation to the Honorable Dr. Libertina Amathila for her willingness to be our keynote speaker today.  She has been particularly supportive of the American Embassy and its activities, and I thank you.
 
 I would also like to acknowledge the governors, mayors, and regional officials who are with us today. Some of your offices have played a very helpful role in facilitating communication between local projects and our Embassy.  Thank you.

Allow me now to focus on the people we are honoring today; the inspiring project leaders and the community groups they represent.  Many of you have traveled long distances to be here and I know that every day you work tirelessly to improve the lives of people in your communities. Your commitment and dedication are qualities the Self-Help Program seeks to reward and encourage. I applaud your initiative and leadership.

The Ambassador’s Special Self-Help Program began in 1990 and since then the U.S. Government has given more than 19 million Namibian dollars in Self-Help grants to small development projects in Namibia.  This year, 24 Self-Help grantees will share a total of 1.8 million Namibian dollars for community development projects in twelve regions of Namibia.  Nineteen of the projects selected this year specifically tackle the HIV/AIDS epidemic. 

We have a wide variety of interesting projects this year with particularly strong community support and participation.  These projects are truly inspiring and demonstrate the power of team work.  For example, in an effort to prevent mother to child transmission, one project has a team that assembles monthly nutrition packs for distribution to pregnant and lactating women. Another group made a plan to pull their resources together and started rearing chickens for the sale of eggs and meat. And yet another group who used the concept of “each one teaches one” has grown exponentially from one to fifteen gardens to support their HIV/AIDS support groups.

Then there are also several projects that focus on education and vocational training. Members of these projects learn skills such as the art of wood turning, producing leather goods from raw hides, learning to sew, and producing other common household goods for sale. Learning these life long skills will enable project members to earn an income for themselves and their families.

Other projects include those that support hostels, day care centers and gardens for a secure food source.  In one community, a bakery provides income for PLWHA and funds to feed and clothe OVC’s.  In other communities, HIV/AIDS campaigns and dramatizations are taken to schools and remote villages to educate on prevention, reduce the stigma of HIV/AIDS and promote abstinence.

I again congratulate all of you for taking the steps to make a difference in your communities.  We receive hundreds of applications each year, and it is difficult to choose among so many deserving projects.  Your selection as a grantee is an indication of your hard work and dedication. You encourage and inspire others in your community to adopt a similar model of leadership.  I hope the example you set is duplicated 100 times over.  You are all Ambassadors of the Self-Help Program, and I know you will serve with distinction.  I wish you the best of luck with your projects, and I hope to see more members of your communities filling these chairs next year.    

Now, ladies and gentlemen, it is my honor to introduce the Honorable Deputy  Prime Minister, Dr. Libertina Amathila.