The OAS' Pan American Development Foundation Receives $3 Million in Grants to Boost Construction Jobs and Repair Multi-Family Homes

PADF Teams Up with Clinton Bush Haiti Fund and Caterpillar Foundation to Support Leogane

WASHINGTON, July 13, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Organization of American States (OAS) Secretary General Jose Miguel Insulza, as Chairman of the Pan American Development Foundation, announced on July 12 that PADF will expand efforts to repair multi-family homes in Leogane, Haiti, the epicenter of the 2010 earthquake, with a $1.98 million grant from the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund and a $1 million grant from equipment manufacturer Caterpillar.

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"I am very proud of the work that PADF is doing in Haiti and know that it will make good use of these donations," said Secretary General Insulza during a ceremony at OAS headquarters in Washington D.C.

PADF, which is successfully implementing a similar repair project for damaged homes in Port-au-Prince, will manage the program in partnership with Haiti's Ministry of Public Works. The new funding will generate skilled and technical labor jobs for Haitians who will repair neighborhoods in Leogane, inviting thousands of displaced Haitians back into safe, permanent homes.

"We are delighted to team up with the Caterpillar Foundation for this investment," Clinton Bush Haiti Fund's Executive Vice President, Ambassador (Retired) Tim Carney, said. "Working with PADF, we are able to fill an immediate demand for housing while promoting construction jobs for Haitians in their own communities."

With the Ministry of Public Works, PADF will hire and train 214 Haitian engineers, masons, subcontractors and workers for the repairs. These Haitians will learn construction best practices and disaster risk reduction to ensure the safety and durability of the structures. PADF plans to hire graduates of another Clinton Bush Haiti Fund project in Leogane—YouthBuild/IDEGEN Academy, a vocational training center for at-risk youth.

There is still an urgent need for permanent housing solutions in Haiti, and much of that need lies in the earthquake epicenter. PADF's project will fund the repair of 800 damaged ("yellow-tagged") multi-family homes in Leogane, allowing 7,200 Haitians rapid and efficient access to safe and habitable housing. Over three months, the project plans to repair homes and train the public on safe construction techniques. It will also reach out to communities, publicizing the repair work and encouraging families to return to their old neighborhoods.

"Together, we look forward to giving families the chance to safely return to their homes," said Paul Knollmaier, PADF Trustee and Caterpillar Americas Distribution's Marketing and Operations Services Director. "In 2010, we worked in Haiti with PADF on a drainage clean-up project outside Port-au-Prince in low-income areas of Cite Soleil. Now, we are excited to join the important work of the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund and the Ministry of Public Works in putting Haitians to work to repair infrastructure and rebuild damaged homes."

Working with "yellow-tagged" homes is an effective way to help bring Haitians still living in tent camps back into permanent houses. Repairs to moderately damaged homes can take less than one week and last a lifetime, while construction of new homes or transitional shelters cost far more or are only temporary. The repair project also gives masons and contractors skills to build to international standards. They carry these practices to their other worksites and build Haiti back better.

PADF partner Miyamoto International will provide quality control and construction management to ensure that the repairs are done to international standards. The global engineering firm has already assisted in structural assessments of the Oasis Hotel, a Clinton Bush Haiti Fund investment, and of nearly 400,000 additional structures in Port-au-Prince.

"PADF's partnership with the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund and Caterpillar will further strengthen our efforts to collaborate with the newly elected Haitian government in its efforts to provide safer and more secure housing for the many Haitians who are still homeless," said John Sanbrailo, PADF Executive Director, "while also providing a model for accelerating the country's reconstruction process for the neediest population."

About the OAS
The Organization of American States (OAS) is the world's oldest regional organization, dating back to the First International Conference of American States, which was held in Washington, D.C. from October 1889 to April 1890. Today, it is comprised of 34 countries from Latin America and the Caribbean. The Pan American Development Foundation, which was created in 1962, is an affiliate of the OAS. www.oas.org

Pan American Development Foundation
PADF is a is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization established in 1962 to promote, facilitate and implement social and economic development in Latin America and the Caribbean. In 2010, it helped more than 10.2 million beneficiaries in 22 countries. Headquartered in Washington DC, PADF has field offices in Haiti and Colombia. www.padf.org

Clinton Bush Haiti Fund
The Clinton Bush Haiti Fund is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded after Haiti's January 12, 2010 earthquake, when President Barack Obama asked former Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush to lead a major fundraising effort to assist the Haitian people to "build back better." The Clinton Bush Haiti Fund initially responded to the catastrophe with millions in humanitarian relief. By the time the Fund began independent operations in May 2010, it transitioned to primarily serving its longer-term mission of sustainable reconstruction efforts designed to promote job growth and economic opportunity, and enabling Haiti to chart its own successful future. To learn more visit www.ClintonBushHaitiFund.org.

Caterpillar Foundation
The Caterpillar Foundation is the philanthropic arm of Caterpillar Inc., the world's leading manufacturer of construction and mining equipment. Founded in 1952, the Caterpillar Foundation has contributed nearly $400 million to help make sustainable progress possible around the world by providing program support in the areas of environmental sustainability, access to education and basic human needs. More information is available at www.caterpillar.com/foundation

Donations (U.S. only): (877) 572-4484
www.padf.org

SOURCE Pan American Development Foundation