Guatemala

Through the USAID funded Small Project Assistance (SPA) program implemented by the US Peace Corps, children at this school in Guatemala now have access to clean water for drinking and washing.  Under the SPA program, USAID Missions provide small community-initiated grants that are managed by Peace Corps volunteers.  SPA-sponsored projects can focus on developing local community groups, including local associations, local government entities, schools, and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) or can be used to facilitate technical assistance and training activities.  The sectors supported span the breadth of USAID’s work, from health to agriculture to small enterprise development. Generally, any country in which Peace Corps operates that is served by a USAID bilateral or regional Mission is eligible to participate in the SPA program.  Today, SPA funds activities in over 40 Peace Corps posts.