US embassy cable - 05KINSHASA1616

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