Thank you for joining us this
afternoon to celebrate a milestone in the history of the
Fund of the Americas -- Uruguay.
Through the Fund, the government
of the United States of America works with the government
of Uruguay and local non-governmental organizations to accomplish
two goals: help the children who cannot help themselves
and protect the environment for future generations.
The citizens of the United
States have committed to donate $6 million to the citizens
of Uruguay through the Fund. Much has been achieved as a
result of this cooperation. In the last 10 years, 80 creative
projects throughout the country have been funded. As I travel
through Uruguay, I have personally witnessed how these projects
have had a dramatic impact on their communities.
This afternoon we commemorate
the successful completion of the Fund's Fifth Call for Projects,
wherein 21 new projects have been selected to receive 570,000
dollars.
Average citizens are often
in the best position to solve the social and environmental
problems their local communities face. The people of the
United States of America are proud to support the people
of Uruguay in this pursuit of a better life for their children
and grandchildren.
