African Urban Poverty Alleviation Project
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 9, 2009
MEDIA CONTACT:
Frances Reimers
freimers@sister-cities.org
202-347-8630 x8251
SISTER CITIES INTERNATIONAL SUPPORTS SEVEN U.S. CITIES TO LEAD SUSTAINABILITY PROJECTS IN AFRICA
Projects to address sanitation, health, and water issues in urban areas
WASHINGTON, DC — Sister Cities International announces today that seven U.S. cities and their African counterparts have been chosen to perform projects to address sanitation, health, and water issues in urban areas of Africa. The African Urban Poverty Alleviation Program (AUPAP) is a three-year project funded by a $7.5 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
“This Sister Cities International program represents a major effort to address fundamental needs of citizens of urban areas in Africa,” said Patrick Madden, President & CEO, Sister Cities International. “These sister cities represent some of the strongest partnerships between the U.S. and Africa and will become the measure of how cities can help each other and leave an enduring legacy in tangible ways.”
The seven grant recipients were selected from a pool of 34 applicants by an independent panel of five experts in the areas of sister city relationships, aid administration, and international development. Each city pairing will have a budget of up to $115,000 to apply to their projects, in addition to travel funds. The recipients include:
- Boulder, Colorado, and Kisumu, Kenya
- Corvallis, Oregon, and Gondar, Ethiopia
- Fort Worth, Texas, and Mbabane, Swaziland
- Grand Rapids, Michigan, and Ga East/West Districts, Ghana
- Lansing, Michigan, and Akuapem South Municipality, Ghana
- Louisville, Kentucky, and Tamale, Ghana
- The State of Maryland, and Bong & Maryland Counties, Liberia
AUPAP, administered in cooperation with the Africa Global Sister Cities Foundation, addresses some of the sources of urban poverty through water, health, and sanitation projects developed collaboratively by U.S. and African sister city programs. This includes involvement and support from the private sector, NGOs, and community-based organizations to provide sustained technical assistance and community development strategies.
Beyond improving the state of sanitation, health, and water infrastructures in urban areas of Africa, this project is aimed at accomplishing Sister Cities International’s mission of promoting peace and prosperity through international people-to-people collaboration.
Visit www.sister-cities.org to learn more about the African Urban Poverty Alleviation Program.
Sister Cities International promotes peace through mutual respect, understanding and cooperation by focusing exchanges and public programs on sustainable and economic development, youth and education, arts and culture, and humanitarian assistance. More information about Sister Cities International can be found at www.sister-cities.org.