CANADA TO MATCH PRIVATE DONATIONS FOR AFGHAN AID

UNCLAS OTTAWA 000365 SIPDIS STATE FOR SCA/A STATE PASS USAID E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV EAID PREL MOPS AF CA SUBJECT: CANADA TO MATCH PRIVATE DONATIONS FOR AFGHAN AID REF: 08 OTTAWA 790 ¶1. (U) The Canadian government on May 14 launched a pilot project to match individual online donations to aid organizations participating in Canada's reconstruction and development effort in Afghanistan. The 'Afghanistan Challenge' encourages individual Canadians to participate directly in government-NGO partnerships in Kandahar, while raising awareness of and perhaps bolstering support for the overall mission. ¶2. (U) Ottawa is partnering with four Canadian NGOs for the first, six month phase: CARE Canada, the Mennonite Economic Development Associates (MEDA),Rotary International, and World University Service Overseas (WUSC). The partnership focuses on Canadian Signature Projects in Kandahar that align with the Afghanistan National Development Strategy. In particular, the projects (1) provide vocational training scholarships for women, (2) furnish micro-loans to female entrepreneurs, and (3) support school construction. Canadian aid and NGO officials have set a goal of raising C$500,000 from Canadians during the first stage. Pending review of the first phase, a second would commence in the fall of 2009 and continue through to 2011 (septel). ¶3. (U) Individual Canadians can donate funds to the project via www.AfghanistanChallenge.ca and are encouraged to use web-tools to engage other prospective donors through personal contact and social networking sites. They also can track the results of their contributions via the Afghanistan Challenge website. Visit Canada,s North American partnership community at http://www.intelink.gov/communities/state/nap / HOPPER