Department of State Salutes Grapes for Humanity and Primum Familiae Vini for Supporting Landmine Survivors Assistance in Angola and Ethiopia

Some Angolan and Ethiopian landmine survivors will have better access to clinical care and physical rehabilitation thanks to Grapes for Humanity, a charitable foundation that funds mine survivors assistance, and Primum Familiae Vini (first families of wine), a group of leading international family-owned vintners, working together to support Vietnam Veterans of America Foundation survivors assistance efforts in both countries.

Primum Familiae Vini chose Grapes for Humanity as the designated beneficiary at its gala fund-raising dinners held in Sarasota, Florida, and New York City earlier this month. Grapes for Humanity passed $58,000 of the proceeds to the Vietnam Veterans of America Foundation, a non-governmental organization with years of humanitarian mine action experience. $23,000 will help the Vietnam Veterans of America Foundation to construct a prosthetics clinic in Bahir Dar, Ethiopia. $35,000 purchased a 4-wheel drive vehicle with a secure communications system to ferry Angolan landmine survivors and other war wounded between their villages in Moxico, Lunda Sol and Lunda Norte provinces and the Vietnam Veterans of America Foundation Regional Rehabilitation Center in Luena.

Grapes for Humanity and the Vietnam Veterans of America Foundation are among nearly fifty civic associations, foundations, non-governmental organizations, and corporations that work in partnership with the Bureau of Political-Military Affairs’ Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement to reinforce humanitarian mine action (landmine clearance, mine risk education, and mine survivors assistance). To learn more about this public-private partnership program, visit www.state.gov/t/pm/wra/c10388.htm.

2004/609