Partnership between FFTP and the Republic of China (Taiwan) Brings New Rice Shipments to Guatemala
COCONUT CREEK, Fla. (Feb. 16, 2024) – Today, Food For The Poor (FFTP) and the Republic of China (Taiwan) announced a new agreement to distribute lifesaving rice to hungry families in Guatemala.
The Republic of China (Taiwan) is donating 1,000 metric tons of rice this year to FFTP.
The amount of rice is equal to 50 tractor-trailer loads or shipping containers. It will be delivered in shipments of five containers each, beginning in March and continuing monthly through December.
The agreement was announced this morning in a video conference by FFTP President/CEO Ed Raine and Miguel Li-Jey Tsao, Ambassador of the Republic of China (Taiwan) to Guatemala. Also participating were the Rev. Fr. Aarón Tello, Archdiocesan Delegate and General Director of Cáritas Arquidiocesana, and Enrique Hegel, President of The Order of Malta in Guatemala.
Raine said FFTP’s partnership with the Republic of China (Taiwan) is expanding and growing even stronger. He pointed out that Ambassador Tsao, as former director of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Miami, has been a good friend to FFTP and former President/CEO Robin Mahfood.
“It is truly our distinct pleasure to be a witness to this incredibly important moment that our good friends from Cáritas and The Order of Malta should join with Food For The Poor and the people of Taiwan to bring this extraordinary donation to the people who so desperately need it,” Raine said. “This represents a huge increase in our ability to provide such necessary food basics.”
In addition to expressing gratitude for the rice donation, Raine praised the Republic of China (Taiwan) for its technical expertise and partnerships that help FFTP focus on sustainable development.
“This is very much in our broad perspective of building lives and not just handing things out,” Raine said. “People need help, but mostly they need the support to be able to stand on their own.”
Ambassador Tsao said Taiwan’s love for the people of Guatemala is firm and concrete. He credited FFTP for its “dynamism” for taking the initiative to request rice and for coordinating the distribution with partners in Guatemala.
“We wish to express gratitude to Cáritas Arquidiocesana and The Order of Malta who are always willing to share the experiences and knowledge of those who have been farming in Guatemala for years to make better use of food,” Ambassador Tsao said.
“The government and people of Taiwan value the relationship and friendship with Guatemala,” he said. “If I could describe both nations’ relations in an analogy, it would be that of chopsticks because they work best when together.”
The rice donation is coming at a critical time. Almost half the population cannot afford the cost of the basic food basket in Guatemala, according to the United Nations World Food Programme. As a result, the prevalence of stunting in children under 5 is one of the highest in the world – and the highest in Latin America and the Caribbean.
Cáritas Arquidiocesana and The Order of Malta will oversee distribution of the rice through their feeding and nutrition programs.
The donation will allow FFTP to nearly triple the number of beneficiaries in Guatemala who will receive rice. In the past, FFTP purchased rice and had it shipped to its in-country partners in Guatemala.
The charity and the Republic of China (Taiwan) have previously partnered on agricultural projects in Guatemala, but the rice is the first in-kind donation to the country. FFTP’s partnership with the Taiwanese government goes back to 2007.
The Rev. Fr. Aarón Tello, Archdiocesan Delegate and General Director of Cáritas Arquidiocesana, spoke about the importance of partnerships and alliances with other institutions to help Guatemalans in need and to transform their lives.
“This is what brings us together here today,” Fr. Tello said. “To join hands to begin and follow up on the unification of efforts to attend to our needy and hungry population. And what better way to do it than with those who generously trust in our work to ensure that these needs are met and satisfied.”
Enrique Hegel, President of The Order of Malta in Guatemala, said his organization has a long history of working with FFTP in Guatemala.
“The generous donation of 1,000 tons of first quality rice will contribute to preserve and recover the health of many thousands of vulnerable and disadvantaged Guatemalans,” Hegel said. “You have our word.”
Food For The Poor, one of the largest international relief and development organizations in the nation, does much more than feed millions of hungry children and families living in poverty primarily in 17 countries of Latin America and the Caribbean. This interdenominational Christian ministry provides emergency relief assistance, water, medicine, educational materials, homes, support for vulnerable children, care for the aged, skills training and micro-enterprise development assistance. For more information, please visit foodforthepoor.org.
Michael Turnbell
Communications
954-471-0928
[email protected]
