NDFU, CARE Team Up to Feed Afghan Children

CARE
Thursday, 21 March 2002

The North Dakota Farmers Union, Senator Kent Conrad, CARE, and Deutsche Post World Net are teaming up in a remarkable international effort to turn donated North Dakota wheat into food for widows and their children in the capital city of war-torn Afghanistan, Kabul.

The Farmers Union has already begun a drive to collect 1,000 metric tons of North Dakota wheat which will be milled into fortified flour for shipment to Afghanistan. Deutsche Post World Net's U.S. logistics division Danzas AEI will transport the flour between North Dakota silos and CARE's representatives in this still-unstable region. CARE will arrange local transportation and supply the flour to more than 8,000 widows and children in nearly 1,700 homes.

"This humanitarian program provides a great opportunity for North Dakota farmers to share their harvest with people in desperate circumstances," says NDFU President Robert Carlson. "Our farm family members have a tradition of reaching out to help others in need in North Dakota, in the U.S. and around the world."

"These are families at the edge of starvation. The generosity and ingenuity of the partners in this project will help these women and children survive, and allow children to return to school," said Conrad, who coordinated the partnership.

With the Taliban no longer in power, CARE is stepping up its relief efforts with special emphasis on the Kabul Widows Emergency Feeding Project. Under the Taliban's oppressive rule, women had little opportunity to earn a living. Many men,who were their families' main bread-winners, died in the years of conflict. The estimated 40,000 widows in Kabul struggle to feed their families.

"This will allow the neediest women in Afghanistan to continue to provide for the health and welfare of their families," says Marianne Leach of CARE's Washington, DC office. "The generosity, thoughtfulness and vision of North Dakota Farmers Union and its members, along with Senator Conrad, allows a real people-to-people partnership," she adds. "We know that this is going to make a difference."

Carlson is challenging North Dakota farmers, cooperatives, businesses, churches, organizations, and all concerned individuals to contribute to the effort. Tax deductible donations may be made to the Afghan Wheat Fund and mailed to: North Dakota Farmers Union Foundation, PO Box 2136, Jamestown, ND 58402-2136.

CARE - Cooperative for Assistance and Relief Everywhere - originally began providing assistance in Afghanistan in 1961. Since then, CARE's assistance to that nation has been cut back or suspended several times due to security concerns. CARE is funded by individuals, organizations, private foundations, and government donors and provides relief to more than 60 countries.

Deutsche Post World Net is one of the largest logistics companies in the world, with 300,000 employees worldwide and revenues of $30 billion last year. The group inlcudes Deutsche Post, DHL, Danzas and Postbank and provide international mail, parcel, express and logistics services.

For more information, or to contact CARE, see their website at: www.care.org