About USAID Our Work Locations Policy Press Business Careers USAID Seal - Link to Home Page
 

USAID Assistance to Guinea-Bisseau

U.S. AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
FACT SHEET

WASHINGTON, DC 20523
PRESS OFFICE
http://www.usaid.gov
(202) 712-4320

2003-029

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 6, 2003

USAID ASSISTANCE TO GUINEA-BISSEAU

BUDGET (in '000s) FY 2001
(Actual)		 FY 2002
(Estimated)		 FY 2003
(Request)
Economic Support Fund $ 250 $ 0 TBD
Special Self-Help Fund $ 0 $ 20 TBD
Total $ 250 $ 20 TBD

Note: USAID has no office in this country, and there is no direct U.S. assistance program. However, the U. S. has a number of regional or worldwide programs, which indirectly benefit Guinea-Bissau. These programs are monitored in USAID/Washington and from the USAID/Senegal office in Dakar.

PROGRAM AREAS

Economic Support Fund (ESF): ESF was established to promote economic and political stability in strategically important regions. ESF funds are provided in the form of grants and are available for a variety of economic purposes, such as for infrastructure and development projects. Guinea-Bissau received ESF assistance in 2002 for the Leland Initiative to increase Internet capacity and expand user access.

Special Self-Help (SSH) Fund: SSH supports community-based development activities that have an immediate impact. In Guinea-Bissau SSH activities include classroom construction, health center construction, sewing machines for the handicapped and an income-generating tie-dye project.

Trade and Investment: This project promotes micro-enterprise and micro-finance development activities through grants to U.S. organizations. The principal activities under this initiative include training local entrepreneurs in the best techniques for the processing and marketing of cashews. The program's goal is to increase significantly the value added from cashews in-country and provide labor and profits to hundreds of Bissau Guineans.

West African Regional Program (WARP): WARP provides funding to a number of public and private sector regional organizations on region-wide issues of economic integration, health, nutrition, food security, environment, natural resources management and conflict prevention.

Guinea-Bissau, as a member of regional organizations such as CILSS*, ECOWAS**, and West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU or UEMOA)***, participates in WARP-funded studies and analyses that provide data used in the formulation of policy, the development and promulgation of legislation and regulations, and the design and implementation of region-wide program activities.

* Permanent Interstate Committee for Drought Control in the Sahel (CILSS) -- Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Chad, The Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, and Senegal.

** Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) -- Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Côte d'Ivoire, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, and Togo.

*** West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU or UEMOA) is based in Ouagadougou, with member states: Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Côte d'Ivoire, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Niger, and Senegal.

The U.S. Agency for International Development has provided economic and humanitarian assistance worldwide for more than 40 years.

FOIA Requests : Privacy Policy : Email This Page Star Plug-ins : FAQs : Help Desk : Contact Us : Site Map : En Español