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29 April 2003

Iraqi Town Receives Three Additional U.S. Grants

(Umm Qsar projects determined by town's own priorities) (660)
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has
awarded three grants to the Iraqi town of Umm Qasr for a total of
$76,000 that will establish interim offices for the town council,
create a telephone and Internet center, and increase sports and
recreational activities for the town's youth.
According to an April 29 USAID press release, these projects were
selected by Umm Qasr's new town council.
"The community of Umm Qasr determined its own priorities. These grants
reflect the U.S. commitment to helping Iraqis reclaim their country
and rebuild it as their culture and their vision dictates," said USAID
Assistant Administrator for Policy and Program Coordination Patrick
Cronin.
The grants follow upon a USAID grant of $13,000 made earlier in April
to rehabilitate a secondary school in the town. "These four grants
represent the first OTI [Office of Transition Initiatives] grants in
Iraq," according to the press release.
Following is the text of a USAID press release concerning grants
benefiting the Iraqi town of Umm Qasr:
(begin text)
USAID Awards Transition Grants in Iraq
Umm Qasr, Iraq -- The U.S. Agency for International Development
(USAID) announced it has awarded three grants today in Umm Qasr, Iraq,
based on a list of community priorities established by the new town
council. The grants, provided through the U.S. Disaster Assistance
Response Team (DART) by the Office of Transition Initiatives (OTI),
will establish a fully functional office for the Umm Qasr town
council; create a telephone and Internet center; and increase sports
and recreational activities for youth.
The largest of the grants, $41,000, will enhance the capacity of the
town council to meet the town's needs. The grant will provide for a
pre-fabricated unit of four partitioned rooms, equipped with water,
electricity and furniture, for use as interim town council offices.
The grant will also provide computers and other office equipment, as
well as training to develop the council members' leadership skills and
increase their knowledge of democratic principles. The grant also
provides for technical assistance and materials for better
communication with the media and a community newspaper to promote
reconciliation and tolerance.
USAID is also awarding a grant of $30,000 to establish a community
communications center consisting of several telephones and an Internet
server with computers and printers to help in the reunification of
families and to increase access to independent information for
students and adults alike.
The third grant of $5,000 will provide sports and other recreational
activities for the town's youth. Under this grant, USAID will
refurbish existing facilities and provide sports equipment and other
recreational supplies to keep children occupied.
Earlier this month, USAID approved a grant of $13,000 for the
International Organization for Migration (IOM) to rehabilitate a
secondary school in Umm Qasr. These four grants represent the first
OTI grants in Iraq.
Announcing these grants in Umm Qasr, DART Team Leader Michael Marx
said, "In addition to responding to emergency water, health, and food
needs, the DART is supporting the transition to longer-term
reconstruction and self-governance in Iraq." USAID Assistant
Administrator for Policy and Program Coordination Patrick Cronin,
visiting the region to promote international donor coordination,
added, "The community of Umm Qasr determined its own priorities. These
grants reflect the U.S. commitment to helping Iraqis reclaim their
country and rebuild it as their culture and their vision dictates."
The DART is an inter-agency U.S. humanitarian response team deployed
by USAID in cooperation with other U.S. agencies including the
Department of State and Health and Human Services. OTI's mission is to
help local partners advance democratic change in conflict-prone
countries, and support community development programs to bridge the
gap between emergency relief and long-term sustainable development.
For more information on USAID's work in Iraq, please visit
www.usaid.gov/iraq/.
(end text)
(Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S.
Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)