KIRKLAND, Wash. — Starting this year, long term care insurance, which enhances the security of longer-living Americans, will indirectly improve lives in AIDS-plagued Africa also. Today LTC Financial Partners LLC, the nation’s most experienced long term care insurance brokerage, announced that it would contribute 2% of its profits each year to the Rabuor Village Project, a comeback model for villages throughout Africa.
“We’re not just contributing to a worthy charity,” says Cameron Truesdell, CEO of LTC Financial Partners. “We’re investing in a seed operation that can multiply itself in thousands of villages, giving hope to millions.” Truesdell expects other firms in his industry to join the cause. “At least one insurance carrier has already made a substantial contribution,” he says.
The Rabuor Village Project empowers the people of Rabuor Village, Kenya, to develop sustainable community-based solutions to overcome the challenges of poverty spawned by HIV/AIDS.
Contributed funds are used in three program areas:
- * Children & Education, providing opportunity to the growing ranks of youngsters who have lost one or both parents to HIV/AIDS.
* Water & Health, securing a reliable supply of clean water for human consumption and agriculture; and supporting wellness through a community pharmacy and HIV/AIDS education.
* Economic Development, supporting self-sufficiency through micro-loans and technical assistance.
Started in 2003, the project has already brought encouraging results, including better-fed youngsters through a school nutrition program, cleaner water through installation of storage cisterns, disease prevention through the distribution of free anti-retroviral drugs, and improved community life through new businesses. The ventures include hybrid goat breeding, a commercial brick works, bee keeping for honey production, and sunflower growing for the production of sunflower oil and other products. Today the village appears transformed to visitors who saw only despair two years earlier. New hope and vitality are evident everywhere, and “the women have begun to sing again,” says Loyce Mbewa, founder of the project.
“It’s surprising how little money it takes to make such a huge difference,” says Truesdell. “Their whole budget for 2005 was only $65,000 and change.” The community-development model works because it’s based on sustainability and self-help. “All these people need is a bit of help, and they’re up and running on their own.” The principles of the Rabuor project are starting to be applied in nearby villages, more than 10 so far.
“This could be the start of something really big,” Truesdell asserts. “The whole continent could be transformed, but a lot more investment is needed — to perfect the model and spread it everywhere.” Companies and individuals wishing to help will find information at http://www.ltcfp.us/rabuorvillage .
[tags]Rabuor Village Project, aid to Kenya, Loyce Mbewa, LTC Financial Partners[/tags]
