CONGO/B: Post Support for Crucial USDA Funding

UNCLAS KINSHASA 001616 SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR AF/C DEPARTMENT PLEASE PASS USDA - MARY CHAMBLISS PARIS FOR AFRICA WATCHER AND USDA ATTACHE FROM BRAZZAVILLE EMBASSY OFFICE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ECON EAID CF SUBJECT: CONGO/B: Post Support for Crucial USDA Funding REF A: KINSHASA 00697 REF B: 04 KINSHASA 00076 ¶1. Summary. Post understands that recipient countries and specific programs for USDA support under the 2006 Food for Education and Food for Progress programs are currently being selected. Due to staffing shortages and turnover of all but one Embassy staff member, we are not sure whether USDA received confirmation of post's strong support for continued funding for Congo/B programs and for International Partnership for Human Development (IPHD) as an implementing organization. End summary. ¶2. Regarding the Food for Education program here in Congo/B, the Embassy would again like to submit, as a reclamma, the importance of this program for the Republic of Congo (as it did last year, Ref B). The Embassy strongly supports this program and would like to request that USDA consider or reconsider ROC for at least one additional year of funding under this program. The USDA Food for Education Program has been critical in addressing education issues all over the country stemming from six years of civil conflict from 1997 to 2003. It is one of the major bilateral assistance programs between the U.S. and Congo/B. Congo/B is a post conflict country with dire education needs. The program reaches more than 160,000 children, including at-risk groups like pygmies. In addition, a recently jointly launched USDA- African Education Initiative (AEI) program aimed at establishing gardening projects in schools had anticipated working off the synergies of FFE. Ultimately the goal is to help provide food security that could eventually reduce or even eliminate the need for direct food assistance programs to the target populations. The lack of FFE program not only puts at risk the gains already made, but threatens the effectiveness of this new USDA-AEI program. Post is aware that Congo/B has recently been removed from the list of priority countries, but should any end of the year or unprogrammed funds become available we would hope that Congo/B would be considered for such 'fallout' funding. ¶3. Regarding the Food for Progress program, post is very supportive of bringing critical USDA support to bear against the desperate need witnessed in Congo/B. IPHD has presented its proposal to Embassy staff and post is strongly supportive and hopes that USDA will fund this proposal. Using the proceeds from the sale of rice and vegetable oil to support seven dynamic projects, the proposal builds on excellent work done to date by IPHD in Congo/B and seeks to expand its impact. IPHD's work contributes significantly to increasing the capacity of Congolese to better ensure their food security and to build related reinforcing mechanisms/institutions. ¶4. Post cannot overstate the positive impacts it anticipates from expanding the continuing programs, whether measured in terms of improving the lives of Congolese, of effectively leveraging U.S. assistance, or of serving as replicable examples of quality programs that work in developing countries in Africa. In addition, post has total confidence that the proposed new project in Kouilou will achieve similar impacts. ¶5. Embassy Brazzaville appreciates all the support over the past several years by USDA and would like to request that USDA continue support for IPHD's work in Congo/B, preferably for both programs, but at the very least for the Food for Progress proposal. ¶6. Brazzaville Embassy Office - Rutherford MEECE