Watford, England—The Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) office in the United Kingdom has launched an environmentally friendly development project in Somalia that will strengthen livelihood strategies of the Somali people by promoting the use of alternative energy options to meet growing energy needs.

ADRA United Kingdom is funding the Somalia Energy and Livelihood project in partnership with the European Commission, which is furnishing 75 percent of the project's US$2.8 million value. The three-year project, to date the largest ADRA UK project co-funded with the European Commission, launched November 1, 2007, in Puntland and Somaliland.

The Somalia Energy and Livelihood project is implemented by ADRA Somalia, and will install windmills and solar powered water systems. In addition, the project will facilitate the production and marketing of 10,000 cook stoves.

The installation of energy equipment will increase access to clean water and provide health and education services for local residents. This will be done by creating an awareness of the effects of improper natural resource management and promoting the use of renewable energy options, such as wind, solar, and modern biomass. The intervention will be conducted in line with the global trend of seeking renewable energy to spur economic growth.

Through this project, ADRA will reduce poverty in Puntland and Somaliland, which combined have a population of nearly 5.3 million.

Somalia is classified as a Least Developed Country (LDC) by the United Nations. It is one of the poorest countries in the world with more than 50 percent of the population in rural areas living on less than US$1 day. War and a lack of state authorities have contributed to the collapse of social services.

ADRA has been operating in Somalia since 1992, implementing emergency relief and development interventions in different sectors. Since then, ADRA has managed more than 50 projects in eight sectors, including water and sanitation; primary health care; education; food security; infrastructure; institutional capacity building; micro-enterprise development; and emergency response interventions.

ADRA is present in 125 countries, providing community development and emergency management without regard to political or religious association, age, gender, or ethnicity.

Additional information about ADRA can be found at www.adra.org.

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Author: Bert Smit, Executive Director for ADRA United Kingdom

Media Contact: Kara Watkins ADRA International 12501 Old Columbia Pike Silver Spring, MD 20904 Phone: 301.680.6357 E-mail: Media.Inquiries@adra.org