Q & A with FACHIG 2014-15 PEPFAR Grantee SSH Team: How did you first learn about the SSH program? FACHIG Director: A friend of mine who had attended one of the Food for Thought sessions at the Public Affairs Section told me about the SSH program and encouraged me to pursue it since they thought it would be a good opportunity for our Trust. I then went onto the embassy’s website page at and under I clicked on the Ambassador’s Special Self-Help “Resources” Program page. There was all the information that I needed to know about the program. SSH Team: Where did you learn about how to apply? FACHIG Director: On the SSH webpage. I downloaded the application form and followed the guidelines and instructions on how to apply for SSH funding. SSH Team: Were the application requirements and evaluation criteria easy to understand? FACHIG Director: Our main focus as an organization is farming, so we are always looking for opportunities that have something to do with agriculture. However, having gone through the clear application requirements, we opted for PEPFAR funding because it fit well with the four components of our proposed project: HIV/AIDS awareness, behavior change, nutrition, and income generation. SSH Team: How did you formulate your project proposal? Whom did you consult with to design the project? FACHIG Director: When we had gathered all the information the SSH program from the U.S. Embassy website, we brainstormed on possible project ideas. We saw this as an opportunity to use our existing tool on behavior change that we had acquired from a previous project. We also googled tips for writing a winning proposal. We went on to pitch our ideas to the farmers that are board members for FACHIG Trust. They liked our ideas, so we applied for the SSH Program PEPFAR funding opportunity. SSH Team: How would you describe the process? Was it open and transparent? FACHIG Director: It was a long process with a lot of back and forth between the SSH team and our organization. When we submitted our project proposal, they acknowledged receipt of our proposal and, after some time, they asked us for more detailed information regarding our Trust and the proposed project. They requested quotations for the materials and equipment we intended to purchase under the proposed project. The SSH team also conducted a site visit to establish our existence and to seek more clarity regarding the proposed project proposal.
Q & A with FACHIG 2014-15 PEPFAR Grantee SSH Team: How did you first learn about the SSH program? FACHIG Director: A friend of mine who had attended one of the Food for Thought sessions at the Public Affairs Section told me about the SSH program and encouraged me to pursue it since they thought it would be a good opportunity for our Trust. I then went onto the embassy’s website page at and under “Resources” I clicked on the Ambassador’s Special Self-Help Program page. There was all the information that I needed to know about the program. SSH Team: Where did you learn about how to apply? FACHIG Director: On the SSH webpage. I downloaded the application form and followed the guidelines and instructions on how to apply for SSH funding. SSH Team: Were the application requirements and evaluation criteria easy to understand? FACHIG Director: Our main focus as an organization is farming, so we are always looking for opportunities that have something to do with agriculture. However, having gone through the clear application requirements, we opted for PEPFAR funding because it fit well with the four components of our proposed project: HIV/AIDS awareness, behavior change, nutrition, and income generation. SSH Team: How did you formulate your project proposal? Whom did you consult with to design the project? FACHIG Director: When we had gathered all the information the SSH program from the U.S. Embassy website, we brainstormed on possible project ideas. We saw this as an opportunity to use our existing tool on behavior change that we had acquired from a previous project. We also googled tips for writing a winning proposal. We went on to pitch our ideas to the farmers that are board members for FACHIG Trust. They liked our ideas, so we applied for the SSH Program PEPFAR funding opportunity. SSH Team: How would you describe the process? Was it open and transparent? FACHIG Director: It was a long process with a lot of back and forth between the SSH team and our organization. When we submitted our project proposal, they acknowledged receipt of our proposal and, after some time, they asked us for more detailed information regarding our Trust and the proposed project. They requested quotations for the materials and equipment we intended to purchase under the proposed project. The SSH team also conducted a site visit to establish our existence and to seek more clarity regarding the proposed project proposal.
Interview%20with%20FACHIG_Interview.docx