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Welcome to Fairfax Underground, a project site designed to improve communication among residents of Fairfax County, VA. Feel free to post anything Northern Virginia residents would find interesting.
Leesburg nonprofit continues aiding African children, economy
Posted by:
Loudoun County News
()
Date: July 19, 2011 09:21AM
Leesburg nonprofit continues aiding African children, economy
Thu., Jul. 14 | 11:00 AM
http://www.loudountimes.com/index.php/news/article/leesburg_nonprofit_continues_aiding_african_children_economy/
Since 1983, the Leesburg based nonprofit International Partnership for Human Development has helped attain economic, social and cultural stability in poor countries all across the world.
Throughout the past 28 years, IPHD has provided aid to such countries as Congo, Guinea-Bisseau, Moldova, Mexico, Central African Republic, Republic of Guinea, Romania, El Salvador, Nigeria, Equatorial Guinea and others.
Through partnerships with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and other United Nations agencies, millions of dollars have been used to provide aid through providing lunches, school improvements, malaria prevention, agricultural growth and the organization of Parent Teacher Associations.
In the Congo and in Guinea-Bissau, IPHD is led by country directors Cristian and Adrian Balan, respectively.
In Guinea-Bisseau, Adrian has seen enormous growth since the program’s inception in 2003.
The nonprofit has provided more than $50 million dollars in aid and has fed more than 105,000 children in primary schools every month with prepared meals daily. In addition, Adrian has overseen the creation of the first national PTA organization, distributed more than 60 mosquito nets to aid in malaria prevention and school rehabilitation.
“We oversee 498 schools throughout the country in small towns and villages and most of the schools have only one or two classrooms,” Adrian said. “We distribute rice, oil, pinto beans and potato flakes for the schools to give their students. Each student receives about 5 kilograms of food each month.”
Just recently, the U.S. Department of Agriculture contributed $16 million to extend the aid in Guinea-Bissau for two more years.
The IPHD began work in the Republic of Congo in 2000 and has provided more than $100 million in aid for projects and related activities.
In addition to the school lunch and malaria prevention programs like in Guinea-Bisseau, IPHD has also established a food for progress program including providing local Congolese farmers with small loans, farmer food banks, development of river fishing, rehabilitation of cacao plantations and other projects.
“As a result of this program, we have supported the development of the nation’s only chocolate factory,” Cristian said. “The. Congolese government also just gave us 1,000 hectare farm for corn and after clearing 300 hectares we had a harvest of 1,200 metric tons of good quality corn and trained over 80 farms in corn-production techniques.
“It is now the largest corn-producing farm in the Congo Republic and will be expanded later this year,” Cristian said. “We received another 300 hectare plot of land from the government in June to grow corn, beans and other products to train farmers in cultivation.
The brothers were able to visit the U.S. for a convention in Kansas City last week and stopped at the organization’s headquarters on their way back. They were able to travel and meet with U.S. Department of Agriculture officials in Washington, D.C., while in Northern Virginia.
“The ultimate goal is to provide these countries with enough stability to be able to provide the funds to continue this lunch program,” IPHD President Bill Pruzensky said. “In the Republic of Congo in October, we will begin a three-year transition of the school lunch program over to the Congolese government and the USDA will provide $14 million to us for this transition.
“After the third year, the Congolese government will take over funding the program and we will continue to manage it for them,” Pruzensky said.
Attachments:
Thu., Jul. 14 | 11:00 AM
http://www.loudountimes.com/index.php/news/article/leesburg_nonprofit_continues_aiding_african_children_economy/
Since 1983, the Leesburg based nonprofit International Partnership for Human Development has helped attain economic, social and cultural stability in poor countries all across the world.
Throughout the past 28 years, IPHD has provided aid to such countries as Congo, Guinea-Bisseau, Moldova, Mexico, Central African Republic, Republic of Guinea, Romania, El Salvador, Nigeria, Equatorial Guinea and others.
Through partnerships with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and other United Nations agencies, millions of dollars have been used to provide aid through providing lunches, school improvements, malaria prevention, agricultural growth and the organization of Parent Teacher Associations.
In the Congo and in Guinea-Bissau, IPHD is led by country directors Cristian and Adrian Balan, respectively.
In Guinea-Bisseau, Adrian has seen enormous growth since the program’s inception in 2003.
The nonprofit has provided more than $50 million dollars in aid and has fed more than 105,000 children in primary schools every month with prepared meals daily. In addition, Adrian has overseen the creation of the first national PTA organization, distributed more than 60 mosquito nets to aid in malaria prevention and school rehabilitation.
“We oversee 498 schools throughout the country in small towns and villages and most of the schools have only one or two classrooms,” Adrian said. “We distribute rice, oil, pinto beans and potato flakes for the schools to give their students. Each student receives about 5 kilograms of food each month.”
Just recently, the U.S. Department of Agriculture contributed $16 million to extend the aid in Guinea-Bissau for two more years.
The IPHD began work in the Republic of Congo in 2000 and has provided more than $100 million in aid for projects and related activities.
In addition to the school lunch and malaria prevention programs like in Guinea-Bisseau, IPHD has also established a food for progress program including providing local Congolese farmers with small loans, farmer food banks, development of river fishing, rehabilitation of cacao plantations and other projects.
“As a result of this program, we have supported the development of the nation’s only chocolate factory,” Cristian said. “The. Congolese government also just gave us 1,000 hectare farm for corn and after clearing 300 hectares we had a harvest of 1,200 metric tons of good quality corn and trained over 80 farms in corn-production techniques.
“It is now the largest corn-producing farm in the Congo Republic and will be expanded later this year,” Cristian said. “We received another 300 hectare plot of land from the government in June to grow corn, beans and other products to train farmers in cultivation.
The brothers were able to visit the U.S. for a convention in Kansas City last week and stopped at the organization’s headquarters on their way back. They were able to travel and meet with U.S. Department of Agriculture officials in Washington, D.C., while in Northern Virginia.
“The ultimate goal is to provide these countries with enough stability to be able to provide the funds to continue this lunch program,” IPHD President Bill Pruzensky said. “In the Republic of Congo in October, we will begin a three-year transition of the school lunch program over to the Congolese government and the USDA will provide $14 million to us for this transition.
“After the third year, the Congolese government will take over funding the program and we will continue to manage it for them,” Pruzensky said.
Attachments: