PRESS RELEASE

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

November 26, 2007

Honorable Dr. Becky Ndjoze-Ojo
Honorable Governors of Caprivi, Erongo, Karas, Kavango, Khomas, Kunene, Omaheke, Oshana, and Oshikoto Regions
Your Worships, Mayors of Windhoek, and Swakopmund
Government officials from regional offices
Self-Help Supervisors and community members
Distinguished Invited Guests
Ladies and Gentlemen:

Good morning and welcome to our Self-Help ceremony.  First of all, I would like to express my sincere appreciation to the Honorable Dr. Becky Ndjoze-Ojo 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 18 million Namibian dollars in Self-Help grants to small development projects in Namibia.  This year, 36 Self-Help grantees will share a total of 1.3 million Namibian dollars for community development projects in ten regions of Namibia.  Twenty-one 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 creative and truly inspiring.  They demonstrate the best in Namibian ingenuity. For example, one project has a team who repairs and produces wheelchairs.  All of its members are disabled and they are the only producer of wheelchairs in Namibia.  Another recycles items such as bicycle spokes and umbrella spines to use as tools.  They also use recycled materials to create finished products for sale such hammered metal to make buckles for belts and shoes. Other projects include those that improve the supply of water to households, gardens, and grazing areas by drilling boreholes, laying pipelines, and installing pumps.  There are also projects that support hostels, day care centers and soup kitchens.  In one community, brick-makers provide materials for home construction.  In another community, millers of mahangu make production inputs more accessible and affordable for remote villages.

We are also awarding three grants to various primary school groups.  Children from Arandis, Kuisebmond and Gobabis will receive much needed educational materials, tables, chairs, blankets and building equipment.  Early childhood development is a critically important component in building strong communities, and I am especially pleased to assist these young children through this Self-Help Program. 

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 Dr. Becky Ndjoze-Ojo. 

Minister Ndjoze-Ojo