Papal foundation funds 200 projects to spur agriculture in Africa
February 29, 2012
The John Paul II Foundation for the Sahel has awarded to $2 million this year to support more than 200 self-help projects in the countries of sub-Saharan Africa.
Msgr. Giampietro Dal Toso, the secretary of the Pontifical Council Cor Unum, told a Vatican Radio audience that the papal charity has funded a variety of projects “against desertification and drought, as well as irrigation and education.” The John Paul II Foundation is a project of Cor Unum.
The spread of famine in Africa during recent months illustrates the urgency of finding solutions to the continuing problem of drought, Msgr. Dal Toso said. The John Paul II Foundation was established in 1984 by the late Pontiff, as a response to the poverty and hunger he had said during his visit to the region. The foundation’s goal is to help local residents preserve their agriculture by fighting the encroachment of the desert.
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