wfn.org | Health Project Spawns Wheat Donation to Albania

["Christian B. Schäffler" <APD_Info_Schweiz@compuserve.com>]

September 6, 1998
Adventist Press Service (APD)
Christian B. Schaeffler, Editor-in-chief
Fax +41-61-261 61 18
APD@stanet.ch
CH-4003 Basel, Switzerland

ADRA HEALTH PROJECT SPAWNS WHEAT DONATION TO ALBANIA
98/29/08

Tirana, Albania, 06.09.1998 [APD/ADRA]   Following a
year of civil unrest and lingering poverty that 
continues to grip Albania, the Adventist Development 
and Relief Agency (ADRA) is assisting the country's 
most poverty-stricken with two years of public health 
education, and a current donation of more than 78 
tons of wheat.

ADRA Albania's 78.4-ton donation will benefit 760 
poverty-stricken families with a basic food 
supplement of Canadian wheat, provided by the 
Canadian Foodgrains Bank through ADRA Canada. This 
month, half of the wheat tonnage will be distributed 
to families living in the bottom 15 percent of the 
social security net. 

"These are the families who receive a government 
subsidy payment of US$20 per calendar month due to 
their poor economic conditions," reports Seán 
Robinson, ADRA Albania director. "Wheat is believed 
to be the best and most easily transportable produce 
to contribute to the food security of the 
population."

The Canadian Foodgrains Bank acts as a bank of 
collected grain and produce donations from Canadian 
farmers, and more recently from the United States. In 
times of international disaster and famine, church 
denominations in Canada use the goods to alleviate 
food shortages.

Albania remains the poorest country in Europe, with 
an average gross domestic product (GDP) of US$60 per 
month. As much as 60 percent of the population lives 
on subsistence level farms averaging 1.3 hectares. 
The government hand-out is based on the size of the 
family, their monthly income or the amount of 
agricultural land available for subsistence level 
farming. 

"At this time of year, the wheat will provide an 
additional subsidy to these families, as well as a 
vital increase to a poor harvest, which can be stored 
to supplement winter supplies," Robinson adds. 

The first phase of the donation, 39.2 tons, was given 
during the month of August to the Commune of Rubik in 
the northern district of Mirdita. ADRA has 
successfully partnered with the people of Rubik 
Commune through a two-year public health education 
program sponsored through ADRA Denmark by the Danish 
International Development Agency (DANIDA). 

Mirdita District infant morality rates are reported 
to have dropped to less than 13 per 1,000 from a 
national average of 30 per 1,000 in 1995. As part of 
the two-year health education project, ADRA has aimed 
at reducing this rate by educating local health 
professionals in areas such as dental care, diarrhea, 
acute respiratory infections, family planning, breast 
feeding and nutrition. 

ADRA brought in a team of two expatriate public 
health educators from the United States in April 1996 
for four months to train two local doctors from the 
district department of health. They, in turn, are 
training village nurses throughout the Rubik Commune, 
who are monitored as they in turn provide the 
grassroots of mother/child health. 

ADRA Albania has also been instrumental in the 
reconstruction of four health centres that provide 
24-hour health care to an average of 6,000 people 
each. At the request of the District Department of 
Public Health, these have been upgraded to include a 
small maternity section if feasible. By the project's 
completion at the end of this year, ADRA will have 
provided necessary medical equipment to the four 
renovated health centres, as well as three additional 
centres in Kurbnesh, Klos and Kacinar communes.

ADRA Albania is a local non-governmental organisation 
(NGO) registered in Albania since 1991. Until 
recently, ADRA Albania focused primarily on disaster 
relief. At the end of 1997, ADRA added project 
interventions in agriculture, health, education, 
and micro-enterprise development sectors. ADRA Albania is 
currently developing US$2.5 million worth of projects 
for the health and agriculture sectors.