Kenyan Project Ongoing

MOMBASA, Kenya - The final shipment of wheat that is part of a United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and World Council of Credit Unions (WOCCU) project aimed at mitigating the impact of the HIV/AIDS pandemic on affected families in Kenya has arrived here. According to WOCCU, last year USDA's Food for Progress program awarded the World Council 26,610 metric tons of wheat to sell in Kenya to fund a three-year project based on the shores of Lake Victoria. The sale of the U.S. wheat to a local broker in Kenya provided World Council with $6.1 million to fund a new development program focused on offering much needed agricultural and financial services through credit unions (SACCOs) to HIV/AIDS-affected families in the most afflicted region of Kenya.

"Despite recent criticisms of food aid programs, the fact is that Kenya is not growing enough wheat to feed itself," said Sam Dunlap, WOCCU's consultant and managing director of International Agricultural Services. "This public-private partnership focuses on achieving positive sustainable results that benefit both countries. We are introducing a quality, high-protein product that local importers otherwise would not be able to access."

Proceeds from the sale of the wheat will fund a variety of services tailored to assist families affected by HIV/AIDS. Individual development accounts (IDAs) for education will help vulnerable households fund secondary school education for their children, and farmers-who comprise 75% of Kenya's population-will have access to funding for agricultural business development and training in labor-saving and conservation technologies. World Council said it will also provide technical assistance to strengthen SACCO system operations in western Kenya.

In addition, the recently formed IRnet Coop Kenya will provide international remittance services through Kenyan SACCOs, and the Strathmore-WOCCU African Management Institute trains SACCO leaders from across the continent in credit union best practices.