SOUTH AFRICA FY07 SPECIAL SELF HELP (SSH) STATUS REPORT

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 PRETORIA 001078 SIPDIS DEPT FOR AF/EPS T. DAVIDSON DEPT PASS TO USAID/AFR/SD K. SCHUERMAN E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EAID ECON SF SUBJECT: SOUTH AFRICA FY07 SPECIAL SELF HELP (SSH) STATUS REPORT REF: STATE 92626 ¶1. Summary: In FY07, Embassy Pretoria selected ten projects for the Ambassador's Special Self-Help Program with total allocations of USD 100,000. Nine of the projects are ongoing and performing satisfactorily in providing social and economic services to the vulnerable populations of the affected communities. End Summary. ¶2. Project(s) summary and status as follows: ¶A. Grantee Name: University of KwaZulu Natal/Happy Valley Clinic Project Agreement Number: SSH-07-674-D-01 Project Title: Happy Valley Clinic Project Amount of Grant: $12,000 Total Amount Advance Unliquidated: $4,296.74 Description of Activity: Build toilets for patients at primary healthcare clinic run by medical students of the Nelson Mandela School of Medicine. Estimated Number of Beneficiaries: 3,640 per year (70 per week) Status of Project: Grantee received first installment. Grantee and Self-Help Coordinator consulted with engineers at the University of KwaZulu-Natal who confirmed that planned toilet facilities would comply with applicable environmental regulations, codes, and procedures. Costs have increased, and the building plan and quote had to be amended. Construction is expected to be completed within the time allowed by the extension of the grant agreement. Fiscal Year Funds: FY 2007 ¶B. Grantee Name: University of KwaZulu Natal/Happy Valley Clinic Project Agreement Number: SSH-07-674-D-02 Project Title: Kuyasa Development Organization Amount of Grant: $10,000 Total Amount Advance Unliquidated: $5,150.78 Description of Activity: Purchase sewing machines for income generation project. Estimated Number of Beneficiaries: 261 principal beneficiaries (members of cooperative "mini factory") Status of Project: Grantee provided invoices for the first installment and simultaneously requested the second installment. Self-Help Coordinator recently visited grantee and saw the funded equipment which had been purchased. Grantee happily reported that the equipment (especially a domestic embroidery machine) has helped them to increase productivity and quality of work to such an extent that the Department of Trade & Industry has promised to fund an industrial embroidery machine for the organization to allow them to increase substantially the work and worth of the organization's 
products. Once the second installment has been received, completion of spending and liquidation is expected within the time allowed by the grant extension. Fiscal Year Funds: FY 2007 ¶C. Grantee Name: Place of Refuge Agreement Number: SSH-07-674-D-03 Project Title: Place of Refuge Amount of Grant: $8,000 Total Amount Advance Unliquidated: $3,228.09 Description of Activity: Convert two rooms in shelter to bathroom facilities. Shelter provides rehabilitation and skills training for men addicted to drugs and alcohol. Estimated Number of Beneficiaries: 224 per year (56 per quarter) Status of Project: Grantee received first installment. The service provider has completed all work on room conversions. Unfortunately, the Grantee organization's coordinator, a pastor, died during the grant cycle. The coordinator's wife, who was very involved with the project, was too distraught to continue the work herself, and referred all related work to the church that owned the building. They decided that though the location was good for its proximity to the needy, drug addicts, and homeless people, it was not conducive Qthe needy, drug addicts, and homeless people, it was not conducive to "rehabilitation" because it was situated in an area where drug usage is rampant. For this reason, the organization has ceased to function at the original location; however the work has continued successfully on a farm outside Durban. Self-Help Coordinator is awaiting final invoices to submit for final grant payment to the service provider as all work has been completed per the grant agreement. Fiscal Year Funds: FY 2007 ¶D. Grantee Name: Dryharts Village Gardens Project Agreement Number: SSH-07-674-J-01 Project Title: Dryharts Village Gardens Project Amount of Grant: $10,000 Total Amount Advance Unliquidated: $7,053.60 Description of Activity: Drill bore-holes and equip community garden with tools and supplies. Estimated Number of Beneficiaries: 1,000 Status of Funds: Dryharts Village used the first advance of PRETORIA 00001078 002 OF 003 $7,053.60 to install a perimeter fence to secure the area and to test for and dig a borehole. Dryharts Village had anticipated digging two boreholes, but the location of the second bore hole would not produce water. Liquidation of the first tranche has been submitted, as well as a request for a second tranche to purchase gardening equipment. After the borehole project was complete, Dryharts Village had a water supply to service a community garden. This garden will be run by community members to provide fresh produce to the orphans and vulnerable children attending the two schools surrounding the borehole. The North West Provincial Government awarded the Dryharts Village borehole project the bronze medal in the competition for "North West Project of the Year." The community credited the U.S. Government for its financial support. Fiscal Year Funds: FY 2007 ¶E. Grantee Name: Lechabile Special Needs Center Agreement Number: SSH-07-674-J-02 Project Title: Lechabile Special Needs Center Amount of Grant: $10,000 Total Amount Advance Unliquidated: $3,534.55 Description of Activity: Erect fencing, install household appliances, bathroom fixtures, and furniture, and create an offiQkqQQQ)E @ld Number of Beneficiaries: 22 children with special needs who reside at Lechabile Status of Project: Lechabile has received two installments of funding. They used the first tranche to purchase a refrigerator, washing machine, vacuum cleaner, table and chairs and small kitchen appliances and items. The first installment of funding has been successfully liquidated and the second advance was released. Lechabile has installed fencing surrounding the current site and created an office at the centre, equipped with a laptop computer and new furnishings. Lechabile is currently in the process of submitting receipts to liquidate the second installment. Fiscal Year Funds: FY 2007 ¶F. Grantee Name: Taung Clinic Agreement Number: SSH-07-674-J-03 Project Title: Taung Clinic Amount of Grant: $5,000 Total Amount Advance Unliquidated: $912.79 Description of Activity: Build a structure for ARV patients to use while waiting for appointments and transportation in order to avoid standing in undesirable weather and heat. Estimated Number of Beneficiaries: 2,600 Status of Project: The grantee used the first advance to erect a pavilion-like shelter to protect the clinic's patients. The clinic provides ARV treatment (as well as other medical services) to 120 patients daily. In the past, these patients waited outside before and after their appointments, as the clinic is very small. Often sick patients were forced to endure rain or scorching sun for hours. The project has submitted liquidation paperwork for the first tranche of funding. They are currently in the process of gathering quotations for the second tranche. With these funds the clinic plans to create a "Kids' Korner" of the shelter to entertain children while they wait. Fiscal Year Funds: FY 2007 ¶G. Grantee Name: Diabashe Day Care Centre Agreement Number: SSH-07-674-C-01 Project Title: Diabashe Day Care Centre Amount of Grant: $12,000 Total Amount Advance Unliquidated: $725.31 Description of Activity: Construction of bedrooms for orphans and expansion of day care centre Estimated Number of Beneficiaries: 200 children and orphans Status of Project: The grantee has used the first advance to purchase building materials. Liquidation of first installment and Qpurchase building materials. Liquidation of first installment and advance request for second installment were sent to USAID in September 2008. The grantee has used the second and final advance to purchase construction, electrical, and plumbing materials and windows to complete the building of the new bedrooms and day care centre. Fiscal Year Funds: FY 2007 ¶H. Grantee Name: Church Foundation Ministry in Bongolethu Agreement Number: SSH-07-674-C-02 Project Title: Church Foundation Ministry in Bongolethu Amount of Grant: $10,000 Total Amount Advance Unliquidated: $4,523.53 Description of Activity: Purchase brick-making equipment for project in area with 75% unemployment and 9,000 families on a waiting list for homes. Estimated Number of Beneficiaries: 24 community members will train in brick making and 500 families will receive houses Status of Project: The grantee used the first advance to purchase PRETORIA 00001078 003 OF 003 fencing material, a cement mixer, wheel barrows, spades, and hosepipes, and put down a deposit towards a Doubell machine, a stock brick maker, and block molds. SGC is in contact with the company, Quick Brick, who confirmed that the Doubell machine along with stock brick maker and block molds will be ready for collection on October ¶3. Liquidation of first installment and advance request for second installment were sent to USAID. The grantee used the second and final advance to pay the outstanding sum for the brick-making machine, delivery of the same, and to purchase construction materials such as sand and cement. Fiscal Year Funds: FY 2007 ¶I. Grantee Name: Alfa Pre-School Agreement Number: SSH-07-674-P-01 Project Title: Alfa Pre-School Amount of Grant: $13,000.00 Total Amount Advance Unliquidated: $0 Description of Activity: Build new building for pre-school which provides a valuable education to rural children. Beneficiaries: 185 members of the community (children and their families as well as school staff and their families). Status of Project: Alfa Pre-School is situated at Klipgat in North West Province. The grant from SSH was mainly for a building - materials and labor. The project has liquidated the entire grant. The last advance was liquidated on October 9, 2008. The structure built by SSH funds allowed Alfa Pre-School to provide three classrooms, a storage room, an administration office, and a health room for ill children. As the result of the structural improvements, Alfa Pre-School accommodates more children and has introduced a new afterschool program to the community for unsupervised street children, offering a place of safety and one hot meal per day. Fiscal Year Funds: FY 2007 ¶J. Grantee Name: Marang A Setshaba Agreement Number: SSH-07-674-P-02 Project Title: Marang A Setshaba Amount of Grant: $10,000.00 Total Amount Advance Unliquidated: $5,243.05 Description of Activity: Purchase equipment for income generation recycling project. Estimated Number of Beneficiaries: 0 Status of Funds: Marang A Setshaba is situated in Soshanguve Township in the North West Province. The grant provided for eight community members in Soshanguve and surrounding areas to collect recyclables (plastic, glass, paper, etc.) and sell the recyclable materials to different recycling companies. The project received an advance of $5,000 to buy an industrial scale and two steel bottle crushers. Project has not yet liquidated the advance. After multiple unsuccessful attempts to obtain receipts, Coordinators have ceased all future funding to this project. The Regional Security Offices at Embassy Pretoria and USAID are currently investigating the missing funds, as well as the project manager's allegations of embezzlement against other members of the project. Fiscal Year Funds: FY 2007 ¶3. Post appreciates the continued support of AF/EPS and USAID/AFR in securing funds for these valuable programs. LA LIME