A Gift to Haiti: Republic of China (Taiwan) Donates Rice to Food For The Poor
COCONUT CREEK, Fla. (Jan. 22, 2020) The Republic of China (Taiwan) has committed to sending 40 lifesaving containers of rice to Haiti each month for nine months, with the first shipment arriving in April.
Each shipment will provide approximately 7 million meals a month.
Bishop Ogé Beauvoir, Executive Director of Food For The Poor-Haiti, and Bang-Zyh Liu, Ambassador of the Republic of China (Taiwan) in Haiti, recently signed an agreement at the charity’s Port-au-Prince office, spelling out the details of the shipments.
Beauvoir said the shipments of rice are coming at a critical time in Haiti, which has experienced months of unrest, rising food prices and fuel shortages.
“By the end of this quarter, the number of Haitians suffering from acute food insecurity will increase to 4.1 million people,” Beauvoir said. “More than 20 percent of our children suffer from chronic malnutrition.”
Ambassador of the Republic of China (Taiwan) Bang-Zyh Liu said the gift of rice is an expression of the solidarity of the Taiwanese people with the Haitian people, who are experiencing difficult days.
“We wish to express our solidarity to the Haitian people and to help the families go through the uncertainty of the moment to live a better tomorrow and improve their every day,” said Ambassador Bang-Zyh Liu.
The rice is a gift from the Republic of China’s (Taiwan) Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Republic of China (Taiwan) is sending 7,200 metric tons of rice in nine shipments – equal to 15.8 million pounds – in April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November and December of 2020.
For 13 years, the partnership with the Taiwanese government has provided Food For The Poor the opportunity to feed thousands of families and meet its mission to help the poorest of the poor.
Food For The Poor President/CEO Ed Raine said the government of Taiwan has been a steadfast partner over the years.
“While our main objective to help break the cycle of poverty through sustainable development, our mission also calls us to provide essential goods to help people survive in times of crisis,” Raine said.
Food For The Poor will distribute the rice to sponsored programs, one of which is the charity’s feeding center in Port-au-Prince.
Approximately 15,000 hot meals are cooked and distributed to 900 families a day from this location six days a week.
To better serve the poor, Beauvoir said Food For The Poor has opened 10 distribution centers to serve remote populations and reoriented its food aid program to prioritize school canteens. The hope is that more children will have a hot meal at school and achieve better academic results.
Beauvoir expressed his thanks to the Taiwan government and people for their generosity.
“It goes without saying, perhaps, that all these activities would not be possible without the immeasurable support of the Taiwanese government and people who understand the crucial needs of our brothers and sisters and who, by their collaboration, help, according to the motto of Food For The Poor, to save lives and renew the hope of Haitians,” Beauvoir said.
Food For The Poor, one of the largest international relief and development organizations in the nation, does much more than feed millions of the hungry poor primarily in 17 countries of the Caribbean and Latin America. This interdenominational Christian ministry provides emergency relief assistance, clean water, medicine, educational materials, homes, support for orphaned or abandoned children, care for the aged, skills training and micro-enterprise development assistance. For more information, please visit www.FoodForThePoor.org.
Michael Turnbell
Public Relations
954-427-2222 x 6054
[email protected]