From Trash to Treasure (TT) – Empowering Women to Reduce, Reuse and Recycle Waste | AF GAB REO GEEA FY23

Opportunity Information: Apply for AF GAB REO GEEA FY23

The "From Trash to Treasure (TT) - Empowering Women to Reduce, Reuse and Recycle Waste" grant is a U.S. Embassy Gaborone (U.S. Department of State) funding opportunity focused on strengthening the role of women in Botswana's waste and recycling value chain. The program is designed around a combined business and empowerment approach that pairs practical training with mentorship, so women waste collectors can build both income-generating capabilities and the life skills needed to navigate barriers that often limit their participation in the sector. The opportunity is rooted in the reality that women already contribute significantly to waste management in Botswana, from informal waste picking and street sweeping to community recycling leadership, yet they frequently face structural gender barriers, discrimination, and even violence that keep them from reaching their full economic potential.

At its core, the project aims to advance gender equality and economic security while also addressing environmental challenges, especially plastic pollution. The Embassy is looking for a project that helps women move from informal, low-paid, and high-risk waste work into safer and more formalized green livelihoods. A major theme is building the skills and confidence women need to engage more effectively with local government and the tourism sector, since partnerships with municipalities and tourist markets can create more stable demand for waste services and recycled products. The grant encourages practical, locally anchored solutions that strengthen service delivery gaps in waste management and help demonstrate a circular economy model where materials are recovered, reused, and turned into valuable products.

The proposed activities emphasize capacity building in multiple areas. Applicants are expected to deliver specialized training that enhances leadership and agency among women waste collectors, alongside technical instruction in solid waste management and recycling practices. Health and safety is a key component, reflecting the risks associated with handling waste and the need for safer working conditions. In addition, the program prioritizes entrepreneurship, including business planning, financial skills, and product development, so participants can build viable microenterprises or cooperatives. A specific program goal is to train at least 50 women waste collectors in leadership, gender equality, solid waste management, health and safety, and business or entrepreneurial skills, while also ensuring they gain hands-on exposure to recycling methods and ways to incorporate recycled materials into production processes. The intent is not just collecting and sorting waste, but also upgrading it into marketable goods that can be sold domestically, including to tourists, to support sustainable livelihoods.

Eligibility is geared toward locally rooted, registered organizations in Botswana. The competition is open to registered not-for-profit entities such as NGOs, grassroots community-based organizations (CBOs), and faith-based organizations (FBOs). A key requirement is that the project must be community-based, locally initiated, and administered at the local level, with substantial community participation and contributions. Applicants seeking these ESF-GEEA funds must be established and registered at the local government level in the communities where they operate, and they must provide a registration certificate. The project should improve basic economic or social conditions at the community or village level and have long-lived value, with an emphasis on high-impact designs that benefit the greatest number of people possible.

Funding details indicate this is a discretionary grant under an environment-focused activity category (CFDA 19.801) managed by the U.S. Mission to Botswana. The award ceiling is USD 100,000, and the Embassy expects to fund one award. The project must be completed within 24 months or less, and it must be built to continue after the grant ends. The Embassy frames its contribution as one-time-only support, meaning applicants need a clear sustainability plan that explains how training, enterprise activity, partnerships, or revenue generation will keep the work going beyond the grant period. Finally, applicants must demonstrate strong financial and administrative management systems that safeguard against waste, fraud, and abuse, reflecting standard U.S. government expectations for accountability and responsible grant stewardship. The original application closing date listed for this opportunity is 2024-08-30.

• The U.S. Mission to Botswana in the environment sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "From Trash to Treasure (TT) – Empowering Women to Reduce, Reuse and Recycle Waste" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 19.801.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2024-07-30.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2024-08-30. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $100,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Nonprofits that do not have a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education.

Apply for AF GAB REO GEEA FY23

[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal: