US embassy cable - 05DARESSALAAM70

UNCLAS DAR ES SALAAM 000070 
 
SIPDIS 
 
FOR AF/EPS, MARGARET DECQUIR AND AFR/DP/PAB 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAID, TZ 
SUBJECT: TANZANIA'S SELF-HELP FUNDING REQUEST FOR FY2005 
 
 
1. Tanzania's FY04 allocation of $65,100.00 enabled post to 
fund seven self-help projects throughout Tanzania.  We are 
confident that we will complete disbursements to all seven 
projects by September 2005. 
 
2. Projects to be funded in FY05 will focus on a variety of 
community based initiatives, ranging from small income 
generation activities to assisting schools with classroom 
construction, small scale agriculture projects, small 
industry projects (weaving, carpentry) and the construction 
of pipelines and wells for safe drinking water.  We have 
found that these initiatives are a cost effective way to 
promote community-level development, and generate good will 
for the United States.  Invariably, our Self Help projects 
receive significant publicity, enhancing the public image of 
the United States at relatively low cost. 
 
3. While we recognize that our FY05 Self Help allocation is 
unlikely to greatly exceed our current allocation of 
$65,100, Embassy Dar es Salaam has clearly demonstrated the 
capacity to manage a much larger Self Help program.  In FY 
2003, EACTI funding swelled our annual allocation to 
$213,000, which funded a total of 28 projects throughout 
Tanzania.  Virtually all of these projects were completed on 
schedule, and have been successfully launched.  During the 
second half of January, personnel from Embassy Dar es Salaam 
will have the opportunity to travel to far-flung places in 
Tanzania to commission some of these projects, including:  a 
series of water wells in rural Shinyanga, latrines for a 
girls school located in remote Ukerewe Island; a dormitory 
renovation for a secondary school in Mtwara, a new library 
for a secondary school in Newala in the far southeast, a 
newly built and equipped clinic for a tea growers 
cooperative near Mbeya, and a dormitory for a girls 
secondary school in Songea. 
 
4.  The self-help projects both in FY03 and FY04 have 
received wide media coverage and as a result post has 
received over 150 proposals for FY05.  With every trip to 
commission self help projects, we receive more and more 
proposals - we have a total of $115,220,000 worth of 
proposals for Self Help funding this year.  The need for 
this kind of community development assistance is always 
increasing, our capacity to administer this funding is high: 
we are confident that Embassy Dar can effectively use as 
much Self Help funding as can be made available. 
 
5. In FY 05, Post would like to request $200,000, in order 
to reach out to more under-served communities and to support 
our overall strategic objectives in Tanzania in anti- 
terrorism.  Post would like to focus funding projects in 
Zanzibar as currently many people in the Isle have an 
unfavorable opinion of the United States.  We intend to 
place particular emphasis on identifying viable projects 
throughout the Zanzibar Isles and in other predominantly 
Muslim communities on the mainland.  The value of the self- 
help program in the public eye in Tanzania far exceeds our 
comparatively modest investment in this program.  We have a 
vital interest in keeping a strong and extensive Self Help 
program at Embassy Dar es Salaam. 
 
OWEN