Statement by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation - grants for the victims of the flooding in Mozambique - Company Business and Marketing

Edge: Work-Group Computing Report, March 13, 2000

To speed relief efforts for victims of the devastating floods in Mozambique, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation announced Tuesday that it will provide a total of $1,050,000, to three international aid organizations.

Through these grants, the Foundation hopes to support the multitude of issues Mozambique faces in getting its families back on their feet and to provide much-needed medical and relief supplies.

The three grants, each for $350,000, were made to the American Red Cross, CARE, and Save the Children to help address immediate relief needs. The American Red Cross will work through its international affiliates to provide supplies that range from medical kits to water purification supplies.

CARE will establish reception camps for flood victims in four northern districts of Inhambane Province and provide food, water and sanitation support.

Save the Children will work in Gaza province, distributing food, water, seeds, and also reunifying children who have been separated from their families.

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is dedicated to improving people's lives by sharing advances in health and learning with the global community. Led by Bill Gates' father, William H. Gates, Sr., and Patty Stonesifer, the Seattle-based Foundation has an asset base of approximately $21.8 billion. Preventing deadly diseases among poor children by expanding access to vaccines, and developing vaccines against malaria, HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis, are central priorities. Other major efforts include extending unprecedented opportunities for learning by bringing computers with Internet access to every eligible public library in the U.S. and Canada, and providing scholarships to academically talented minority students with severe financial need through the Gates Millennium Scholars Program (www.gmsp.org). For complete information and grant guidelines, visit www.gatesfoundation.org.

To make a donation to the American Red Cross, go to www.redcross.org or call (800) HELP-NOW. To make a donation to CARE, go to www.care.org or call 1-800/521-CARE ext. 999. To make a donation to Save the Children, go to www.savethechildren.org or call 1-800/243-5075.