Special Activity Development Fund (SDAF)
USAID/Bolivia’s Special Development Activity Fund Program (SDAF) builds on a long and successful history of assisting hundreds of small, needy, isolated communities throughout Bolivia in carrying out self-help development projects. From 1964-1991, the Special Development Activity reached thousands of beneficiaries, in many cases constituting the only funding available to the communities.
The proposed SDAF, to be implemented from 2006 until 2009, is a new activity that will contribute to the planned results of each of the USAID Mission’s strategic objectives while contributing to the broader goal of democratic development and civil society strengthening and providing an efficient mechanism for disbursing small grants that respond to the immediate needs of poor Bolivians in a way that creates a culture of peace and open dialogue. The SDAF will help Bolivia maintain its democratic system, strengthen civil society participation, increase incomes and promote sustainable economic growth, and provide needed basic health and sanitation services with emphasis on rural and peri-urban indigenous groups.
The SDAF will implement small self-help projects that respond to the expressed and perceived needs of low-income groups in urban and rural areas. These projects will be generally outside of the normal government-to-government channels and represent a substantial input from local communities.The grants will average the equivalent of $4,000 per project, with none exceeding $5,000 in initial funding.
Projects considered for implementation will be punctual and have immediate impact; all will be responsive to the expressed critical needs of the beneficiary communities. Projects to be financed may include school completion or remodeling and equipment/materials provision, water and sanitation systems upgrading, small irrigation systems, small agricultural and handicrafts activities, and small community improvement projects such as meeting rooms and sports or recreational facilities. Projects may include the provision of training and technical assistance to ensure sustainability. Local materials and labor will be provided by the participating communities.
The program will provide temporary jobs for the participating local organizations, communities or neighborhoods. Furthermore, the completed projects will contribute to the improvement of the beneficiaries’ living conditions. ACDI/VOCA therefore expects that approximately 88 small projects will be financed by the SDAF during its three-year life of program.
