Public-Private Alliance with Foremost Company Launched

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
2009-02-10
USAID Strategic Development Office: (503) 2501-3471
U.S. Embassy Public Affairs Section: (503) 2501-2471
www.usaid.gov/sv

The “glass of milk” project, a private alliance between USAID, Foremost Company, and the National Secretariat for Family, will provide a daily glass of milk to 3,790 students in Ataco, Ahuachapan to aid in students’ nutrition.

SAN SALVADOR-The U.S. Government–through its Agency for International Development (USAID)–the National Secretariat for the Family (SNF) and Foremost company launched this morning a public-private partnership entitled, “A glass of milk.”

With a total investment of $388,050, the project is the result of a public-private partnership between USAID–through the Alliances Program/El Salvador implemented by Research Triangle Institute (RTI)–SNF and Foremost Company.  The initiative will allow the provision of a daily glass of milk to 3,790 students in 15 schools of Ataco, Ahuachapán.

USAID has invested $76,317 for the provision of these resources.  The contribution of Foremost amounts to $180,983 (cash and in kind).  The Government of El Salvador, through the SNF, will disburse $130,750.

“Children who have been stimulated and enjoy good health and a sound nutritional status have a greater potential to mature and become creative and productive citizens.  These are the citizens that El Salvador needs to keep growing and being competitive in our globalized world,” said U.S. Chargé d’Affaires Robert Blau during the partnership launching ceremony.

The municipality of Ataco was selected for the implementation of this alliance based on an answer to a local government’s request and information from the USAID-funded 2007 National Height Census.  Census results showed that Ataco has a height retardation prevalence rate of 28.77 percent, which places Ataco in the 17th position of the municipalities with the highest levels of malnutrition in the country.

The launching ceremony was held at Plaza de las Banderas, at the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, and it was presided over by President Elías Antonio Saca; the First Lady, Mrs. Ana Ligia Mixco de Saca; Mr. Blau; the Minister of Agriculture, Mario Salaverría; the Vice Minister of Educational Technology, Carlos Benjamín Orozco; the Executive President of Foremost, Carlos Enrique Merazzo Pinto; and the Presidential Commissioner for Agriculture, Carmen Elena Díaz Bazán de Sol.

Under the Alliances Program/El Salvador, USAID seeks to increase private sector investment to support improvements in health, nutrition, hygiene and reproductive health.  To date, USAID has invested a total of $1,300,000 in 11 partnerships for health projects.  Private sector’s investment amounts to $1,700,000.  USAID’s partners from the private sector are: Distribuidora Zablah, Mc Donald’s, Grupo Excel, Ingenio El Angel, Fundación CIDECO, Compañía Ortiz Barriere, La Geo, Mattel, Bocadelli and Foremost.