CONTACT: Annette Gregg, MBA Sr. Director of Marketing and Communications 858-279-9690 x368; agregg@pciglobal.

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PCI AWARDED GRANT FOR INDONESIA DISASTER RELIEF

Leading organization in global humanitarian work awarded $1.5 million grant to implement disaster preparedness program in Indonesia

San Diego, CALIF.- PCI (Project Concern International) was recently awarded a $1.5 million grant for implementation of a disaster resilience and climate change program in Indonesia. This program, Cross Sectional Strategy for Climate Change and Disaster Risk Reduction in Indonesia, launched in late 2011 and will last for three years. Indonesia is one of the most disaster prone countries in the world. Over the past 20 years, the country has been hit by more than 200 natural disasters, affecting 15.4 million people and costing the U.S. $20 billion in damages. With the collaboration of local partner KabaHill Centre, together with universities such as John Hopkins University, local communities, and the Indonesian government, PCI will manage the program in order to address the needs of 30 communities and 35,000 people in Bengkulu Province. Along with its collaborators, PCI is striving to strengthen resilience of vulnerable rural populations in Bengkulu Province to disaster and climate change. By implementing this program, the province will strengthen its local government committees, leaders, and institutions for disaster and climate change management, reduce exposure and vulnerability through methods that build resilience to disaster and climate change, and improve disaster preparedness practice of communities through knowledge and education.

Leading the project is Field Director Husnul Maad, who brings extensive background in community development in Afghanistan, Tajikistan and Indonesia. I am excited to bring PCIs disaster risk reduction program to Indonesia, comments Maad. The Bengkulu Province is one of the most disaster-prone regions in Indonesia, and we hope to increase the regions capacity to build resilience to disaster and climate change, in an area where community-level planning is currently non-existent. PCI is promoting key topics of President Obamas Global Climate Change Initiative, or GCCI, which integrates investing in clean energy, promoting sustainable landscapes, supporting climate change resilience and adaptation. GCCI would dedicate $1 billion over 2010-2012 as part of the U.S. contribution towards reducing greenhouse gas emissions and making climate financing efficient, effective and innovative, as well as helping to meet the needs of developing countries, including clean energy technologies. This helps promote country climate goals, climate solutions that lead to economic growth, ensures sustainability of this growth, strengthens governance, and facilitates resilience development. To learn more about PCI and its impact of global health and humanitarian work, please visit www.PCIglobal.org or please contact Annette Gregg, Senior Director of Marketing & Communications, at (858)279-9690. ########################## Celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2011, PCI (Project Concern International) is an international health, development and humanitarian assistance organization, operating in 16 countries worldwide. PCI is dedicated to saving lives and building healthy communities around the globe, benefitting over 6.7 million people annually in Asia, Africa and the Americas. Funded by federal grants and private support, PCIs headquarters are located in San Diego, CA and the organization also has an office in Washington, DC and a Seattle, WA representative. PCIs current annual budget is nearly $50 million and the organization has over 600 employees worldwide.