USAID Administrator Shah Delivers Remarks at Morehouse College, Recognizes Coca-Cola for Leadership in Private-Public Partnership

WASHINGTON, Oct. 14, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Today, in Atlanta, Georgia, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Administrator Dr. Rajiv Shah delivered remarks at Morehouse College. At the conclusion of his remarks he presented the 10th Anniversary Private-Sector Development Partner Award to The Coca-Cola Company, which has implemented more than two dozen programs over nearly a decade demonstrating how the U.S. Government and corporations can work together to solve global problems.

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During Shah's remarks, he discussed global development issues facing the world today and highlighted USAID's 50th Anniversary, which is being commemorated this year. He also highlighted the Agency's new FWD Campaign which is helping to raise awareness around the Famine, War, and Drought taking place in the Horn of Africa. He called on students and faculty to get involved in the response. Shah noted that through Feed the Future, the U.S. Government's global hunger and food security initiative, USAID is working to address food security issues around the globe and in the Horn of Africa to make sure that these types of disasters don't happen again.

Coca-Cola Chairman and CEO Muhtar Kent accepted USAID's Private-Sector Development Partner Award on behalf of The Coca-Cola Company.

"It is particularly gratifying for Coca-Cola to be honored by our partners at USAID - an organization that represents America's very best values, instincts and ideals," Kent said. "Through the indispensible work of USAID, America is making a profound difference in the lives of millions of people all around the world."

Coca-Cola has demonstrated significant engagement with USAID at the intersection of business interests and development goals, with a cost-effective and results-oriented approach. Coca-Cola has been involved with USAID since 2002 and most recently in 2010 began the implementation of the "Haiti Hope Project" - targeting business opportunities for 25,000 mango farmers in Haiti in the wake of that country's devastating earthquake. In addition, Coca-Cola has been a partner in the "Water and Development Alliance" (WADA) which has worked in 23 countries since 2005.

WADA has produced significant cost savings and development outcomes in the countries where it has operated. Among the major results associated with the partnership includes:

• 524,223 people benefiting from access to improved water supply
• 55,605 people benefiting from access to improved sanitation services
• 380,000 people with improved local water resources management
• 440,527 hectares of watersheds under more sustainable natural resources management

For more information about USAID and its programs, please visit www.usaid.gov

The American people, through the U.S. Agency for International Development, have provided economic and humanitarian assistance worldwide for nearly 50 years.

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SOURCE U.S. Agency for International Development