Ambassador Barry L Wells of the American Embassy yesterday endorsed a project worth $40,000 for seven communities nationwide at his Fajara residence.

The Special Self-Hep (SSH) project is a grassroots assistance program that allows US embassies to respond quickly to local requests from small community-based development projects. The fund is one of the links between individual communities and the US Embassy.

During the project signing project, Ambassador Wells congratulated the seven beneficiary communities and said "through this program, we hope to support your efforts to bring development to your people."

He noted that the "Self-Help program is different from most development programs in that the projects are proposed and designed by the communities themselves, and the communities must make a real contribution, be it labour or material or money, to its execution."

"This signing ceremony marks the beginning of our partnership," Ambassador Wells remarked.

This funding project involves provision of concrete-lined wells for gardens, fencing, milling machines, etc. The beneficiary communities are Upart Village, Western Region; Sinchu Gundo Lower Basic School, Central River Region; Njaba Kunda VDG, North Bank Region; Jappeni Women's Group, Lower River Region; Bassending Women's Group; Bumari Women's Group, Lower River Region; and the Association of Disabled People, Banjul.

Mr Gabriel Kenny Opesan, executive director of the Foundation for Disabled People thanked the American Embassy on behalf of the beneficiaries.