SPRINGDALE, Ark., Dec. 16, 2008 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Nearly half of the children in the small, central African country of Rwanda reportedly suffer from chronic malnutrition and at least two-thirds of the population lives below the country's national poverty line.*
These are among the reasons Tyson Foods, Inc. (NYSE:TSN) is working on a unique pilot project in Rwanda with Millennium Promise, a non-profit organization aimed at ending extreme global poverty.
Tyson will provide technical experts to go to Rwanda to help women in five Millennium Villages learn how to raise their own chickens. This will enable them to earn an income from the sale of poultry eggs and meat, and develop a school meals program to increase the protein consumption of children.
Rwanda is one of the most densely populated countries in Africa and is landlocked with few natural resources and minimal industry. The 1994 genocide of hundreds of thousands of Rwandans severely damaged the country's already fragile economic base. The country has since been working with the international community to generate social and economic development.
Tyson's involvement with Millennium Promise began in January 2008, when the company's Jenise Huffman went to work for the organization on a nine-month corporate service fellowship. She provided her knowledge of strategy, marketing and business development with the Millennium Promise staff and also traveled to Africa.
"Because of the 1994 genocide there remains sorrow in the eyes of the people of Rwanda, yet they also have a desire to move on and make their country a better place for themselves and their children," said Huffman, Tyson's Director of Sustainability. "I came to realize Tyson could form a deeper relationship with Millennium Promise and play a role in its efforts to alleviate malnutrition among the children in these villages, while also giving the adults an opportunity to earn an income."
If the Tyson pilot project is successful, it will be expanded to help people in other Millennium Villages in Africa. However, other than providing consultation, Tyson Foods presently has no plans to be involved in commercial chicken production there.
"We're very excited about Tyson's enthusiasm to help with this important initiative," said Dr. Jeffrey Sachs, president and co-founder of Millennium Promise, who spoke to Tyson managers Tuesday at the company's world headquarters. "The involvement of partners like Tyson Foods boosts the efforts of the Millennium Village project to help rural African communities lift themselves out of extreme poverty."
The Millennium Villages initiative currently includes 80 villages across 10 countries in sub-Saharan Africa (Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Mali, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Tanzania, and Uganda). Using advances in science and technology, project personnel work with the villages to create and facilitate sustainable, community-led action plans tailored to the villages' specific needs and designed to address such concerns as hunger, disease and inadequate education.
Tyson's partnership with Millennium Promise is an extension of the company's efforts to fight hunger in the United States. Over the past eight years the company has donated 54 million pounds of food to hunger relief agencies around the United States. Click here (http://hungerrelief.tyson.com) for more information on Tyson Hunger Relief.
Millennium Promise
The mission of Millennium Promise is to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) -- eight globally endorsed objectives that address the many aspects of extreme poverty -- in Africa by 2015. To that end, Millennium Promise works with impoverished communities, national and local governments, and partner organizations to implement high-impact programs aimed at transforming lives on the continent and engaging donor nations, corporations, and the general public in the effort. Our work is premised on the belief that, for the first time in history, our generation has the opportunity to end extreme poverty, hunger, and disease.
About Tyson Foods
Tyson Foods, Inc., founded in 1935 with headquarters in Springdale, Arkansas, is the world's largest processor and marketer of chicken, beef and pork, the second-largest food production company in the Fortune 500 and a member of the S&P 500. The company produces a wide variety of protein-based and prepared food products and is the recognized market leader in the retail and foodservice markets it serves. Tyson provides products and service to customers throughout the United States and more than 90 countries. The company has approximately 107,000 Team Members employed at more than 300 facilities and offices in the United States and around the world. Through its Core Values, Code of Conduct and Team Member Bill of Rights, Tyson strives to operate with integrity and trust and is committed to creating value for its shareholders, customers and Team Members. The company also strives to be faith-friendly, provide a safe work environment and serve as stewards of the animals, land and environment entrusted to it.
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* Source: Food for the Hungry