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Cargill to Support 30,000 Indonesian Children through WFP Nutrition, Health and Education Program
View Paul Conway’s speech at WFP Press Conference
Jakarta, Indonesia – 10 July 2007 – Cargill announced today that it has committed US$1 million a year for three years (US$3 million total commitment) to fund a partnership with the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) to improve the quality of education and the health and nutritional levels of school age children in Bogor (West Java) and Madura (East Java).
“This program is anticipated to benefit over 30,000 school children per year in 140 schools in Bogor and Madura,” said President of Cargill Asia Pacific Paul Conway.
Cargill’s collaboration with WFP focuses on an integrated package of activities which consists of providing food assistance and medication for intestinal worms for the children attending the schools, construction of over 125 water wells which will provide them with access to safe drinking water at their schools, and promotion of good health and hygiene habits.
“I am very excited about the WFP-Cargill partnership in Indonesia. Through Cargill’s support, we are reaching some of the neediest children in Indonesia in an integrated way, complementing WFP’s traditional school feeding with health and hygiene interventions. With Cargill’s generous contribution, WFP’s impact will be so much greater,” said WFP Regional Director of Asia Anthony Banbury.
In some schools, particularly those in arid and semi-arid areas, the sanitary situation is severe. Scarcity of water, poor hygiene and a total lack of latrines often lead to the development of parasites in children. The presence of intestinal worms drastically reduces a child’s ability to absorb nutrients. The positive difference complementary health activities, such as de-worming efforts, are considerable when it comes to enhancing the overall health of a child, making them more resistant to other infections in addition to improving their nutritional status.
The joint program is essential to the Government of Indonesia’s commitment to fight poverty, hunger, food insecurity, and malnutrition, as well as to increase the health and educational levels of Indonesian children. The program is also expected to contribute to increased rates of school enrollment and attendance, improve academic performance and reduce gender disparity in primary schools.
“The program we are launching today represents Cargill’s commitment to this country and the people of Indonesia. We will continue to do what we can to bring about positive development in Indonesia in a socially and environmentally friendly manner. We are happy to have the World Food Programme as our partner in this endeavor. Indonesia has potential for a great future, and Cargill wants to be part of that future,” said Paul Conway.
This project is one of several partnerships between Cargill and WFP. Cargill has also supported food, nutrition and education programs in Cuba, Honduras, Nicaragua, Guatemala and Cote d’Ivoire.
Cargill is an international provider of food, agricultural and risk management products and services. With 153,000 employees in 66 countries, the company is committed to using its knowledge and experience to collaborate with customers to help them succeed. For more information, visit http://www.cargill.com.
In Indonesia, Cargill employs over 7,500 Indonesians and buys crop commodities from over 11,800 small-holder farmers. Cargill’s primary Indonesian investments are animal feed manufacturing, coconut oil crushing, cocoa exporting, export and import of food commodities, and oil palm plantations.
WFP first began operating in Indonesia more than 40 years ago. After closing its office in 1996, severe drought, the economic crisis and political turmoil prompted WFP to return in 1998. In response to a series of natural disasters – the Aceh tsunami of December 2004, the Nias earthquake of 2005 and the Yogyakarta earthquake and West Java tsunami of 2006 – WFP established operations in affected areas of Indonesia.
Annually, more than 1.2 million targeted vulnerable people are receiving WFP assistance. WFP's school feeding programs cover more than 800,000 children in both the tsunami area as well as other parts of Indonesia. Food is also given to malnourished children and their mothers, to tuberculosis patients in exchange for treatment and to people displaced by ethnic conflict so that they can settle down and rebuild their livelihoods. Victims of the recent flooding in Aceh and Jakarta also received immediate food assistance in 2007. For more information, visit http://www.wfp.org.