Cargill and UN World Food Program Partnering to Benefit Thousands of Indonesian Children

Cargill recently announced in a company press release that it has committed $3 million over the next three years to fund a partnership with the United Nations World Food Program (WFP) to benefit thousands of children on the Indonesian Island of Madura and in the City of Bogor.

The partnership will work to improve the quality of education and the health of school age boys and girls. The release says that in some schools the sanitary conditions are so poor that many children suffer from parasites. The complete absence of latrines, water shortages and overall poor hygiene contribute to the development of intestinal worms that negatively affect the children's ability to absorb nutrients from the limited food they have available. De-worming and other health-related improvements will no doubt make the children more resistant to parasites and infections and improve their overall health and ability to learn. In the even longer run, it is anticipated the work of the Cargill-WFP partnership will also make it possible for more children, especially girls, to attend school and significantly improve their grades.

The partnership between Cargill and the WFP will focus on three primary areas: providing food assistance and medication for intestinal worms for school age children; construction of more than 125 water wells which will provide school children access to clean, safe drinking water; and promotion through education of overall good health and hygiene habits.

Paul Conway is the president of Cargill Asia Pacific. He is quoted in the press release as follows: "This program is anticipated to benefit over 30,000 school children per year in 140 schools in Bogor and Madura. 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."