Proposal Accepted

Securing funding for projects is not an easy task. PeaceCorps, itself, does not fund any of our projects. However, they do give us a few options where we can find funding for our projects. There is SPA Health Fund: Small Project Assistance that is funded by US AID/West Africa. This is for projects involving some aspect of health, such as teaching about condom use. The next is PeaceCorps Partnership which involves posting the project online and having friends and family donate to help you complete it. This option allows the people who donate to write on their tax forms the amount given as a charitable donation. There is another called FOT: Friends of Togo. According to the FOT the overview of the program is, "Friends of Togo (FOT) is a non-profit charitable organization. One of its purposes is to provide financial assistance for small-scale development projects, giving its members an opportunity to maintain their ties with Togo. Funds are derived from donations, subscriptions and fundraising events." Finally there is the Ambassador's Special Self-Help Fund. "In 1964 an experimental and modest self-help program began in Togo to assist communities with development projects. This program soon grew to cover the entire continent and become one of the most visible and successful assistance programs in Africa. The Ambassador's Self-Help Program is a grass-roots assistance program that allows U.S. Embassy of Togo to provide financial assistance to small, community-based development projects."

A month ago I submitted a proposal for SPA funding and a week later I was notified that they accepted my proposal and will fund my project for the amount I asked for. It will be my first funded project. The project is an English Immersion Summer Class that also educates the students on health topics from nutrition to correct condom use. Health education is severely lacking and this project will be a good learning experience. The Summer Class will run from July through August for 2 hours, 3 times a week. I will be teaching one class and the other class will be taught by a very talented local English teacher called, Jean-Claude. I'm really looking forward to it. I will let everyone know how it goes.