Silver Spring, Maryland—The Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) office in Colombia was recently awarded a $1,000,000 grant by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the Colombian government's Presidential Agency for Social Action and International Cooperation, or Acción Social. The grant is earmarked for an income generation project that will benefit 800 internally displaced families in El Carmen de Bolivar, in northern Colombia.

The one-year project will begin in January 2008, and will assist each head of household in either negotiating a work contract for a job in a local business, developing a business plan to start his or her own small business, or crafting an investment plan to help them improve the small business they already own. Project participants will also receive psychosocial training and be monitored to help ensure their progress and success.

"This is an historical moment for ADRA Colombia," said Gabriel Villarreal, country director for the ADRA Colombia office. "We are very happy about receiving this grant and extend our thanks to the IOM and Acción Social for this opportunity to make a significant difference in the lives of participants, their families, and in the community as a whole. At the end of the project, 800 heads of households will have secured stable jobs or established sustainable businesses that will increase their income and improve their quality of life."

Villarreal added that the project will indirectly benefit approximately 4,000 individuals, which represents 10 percent of the population of El Carmen de Bolivar.

ADRA Colombia works extensively with the country's internally displaced population, assisting hundreds of displaced Colombian women become financially independent through vocational training. Currently, ADRA operates four training centers, located in the cities of Cartagena, Envigado, Saravena, and Bogotá.

With more than 3.5 million internally displaced persons, Colombia is second only to Sudan in number of internally displaced persons (IDPs). Colombia's long-standing civil conflict figures as the primary reason behind the displacement.

According to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), an estimated 49 percent of IDPs in Colombia are adult women, with more than a third of IDP families headed by women.

ADRA has been active in Colombia since 1989, and currently works in the areas of Food Security, Economic Development, Health Care, Education, and Emergency Management.

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: Nadia McGill

Media Contact: Kara Watkins ADRA International 12501 Old Columbia Pike Silver Spring, MD 20904 Phone: 301.680.6357 Mobile: 301.526.2625 E-mail: Media.Inquiries@adra.org