Billionaire financier and global philanthropist George Soros has dedicated US$ 50 million (EUR 39.7 million) over 5 years to the Millennium Villages project in Africa. His donation is being matched by other donors to bring in US$ 100 million (EUR 79.4 million) for the project. Set up by Jeffrey Sachs, the project works to reduce extreme poverty in African communities through a multi-pronged approach covering areas such as health, education, food productivity and water and sanitation. The money from Soros and the matching donations funds 66 of the 78 villages in the project, which covers 12 sites in 10 African countries. For about US$ 60 (EUR 48) per villager per year, or about US$ 1.5 million (EUR 1.2 million) per village over the five years, the U.N.'s Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) can be achieved, according to Sachs.

The Millennium Villages project is the flagship initiative of Millennium Promise, a non-profit organisation based in New York. The project is overseen by a Scientific Council of staff drawn from the UN Millennium Project and The Earth Institute at Columbia University, and led by Jeffrey D. Sachs, Director of both organisations.

For a critical review of the Millennium Villages Project see:
Cabral, L., Farrington, J. and Ludi, E. (2006). The Millennium Villages Project : a new approach to ending rural poverty in Africa? (Natural resources perspectives ; 101). London, UK, Overseas Development Institute. PDF file [137 KB]

Related news: Ethiopia, Koraro: water a priority for model Millennium Village, Source Weekly, 14 Jul 2005

Web sites: Open Society Institute and Soros Foundation Network ; Earth Institute - Millennium Villages Project ; Millennium Promise – Millennium Villages

Contact: Millennium Villages, Millennium Promise, USA, MVillages@millenniumpromise.org

Source : Deepti Hajela, AP / Washington Post, 13 Sep 2006