USADF HOSTS GRANTEE RECIPIENT ROBERT MATSIKO AS PART OF DISTINGUISHED LECTURER SERIES:

WASHINGTON - April 13, 2009

WASHINGTON, D.C. – April 13, 2009 – The United States African Development Foundation (USADF) hosted a distinguished lecture series presentation Friday with Robert Matsiko, Executive Director of NUMA Feeds located in Kabwohe Town Council, Bushenyi District in Western Uganda.   USADF signed a grant with the company in June 2008 to strengthen its management and financial structure, improve product quality, and expand its potential to provide a steady market for local small holder farmers.  

During the presentation, USADF President Lloyd Pierson stated, “USADF is committed to working at the grassroots level to directly fund economic development projects that result in social benefits.   It is very exciting when a grantee can come to Washington to share their experiences and talk to us about how USADF dollars is making an impact.”

The eighteen month, $85,000 grant is helping to increase production of  maize flour and assorted cereal flours for breakfast porridge as well as a variety of dairy and poultry feeds.  Although a small family business, NUMA Feeds Ltd is the main processor in Kabwohe locality and the company has great potential to expand its market in the whole Bushenyi district and beyond.

In speaking about NUMA Feeds impressive social benefit investments, Mr. Matsiko stated, “NUMA Feeds is enabling people increase their incomes and reduce poverty.  We now employ 65 people, many of whom are women.  I care about the community surrounding my factory and I want to do more to ensure safe environmental conditions, improve nutrition, and send young people to school.”

Profits from NUMA Feeds have been directed to help pay for school expenses for orphans, talk to people about household hygiene, and provide baby chicks fir family income generation.  Investments in backyard ganrden schema and savings schemas for their employees have also been made.

Mr. Matsiko was selected to participate at the World Bank Institute’s Executive Development Program on "Inclusive Agribusiness: Fighting Poverty, Hunger and Malnutrition," in light of the great results achieved by NUMA Feeds.

The distinguished lecture series was launched on October 23, 2008 when USADF hosted the Former President of Benin, Nicéphore Dieudonné Soglo.

The United States African Development Foundation (USADF) is a United States Government agency dedicated to expanding access to economic opportunity in Africa. Currently USADF operates in 20 African nations. Over the past 25 years, USADF has directly funded nearly 1,500 African projects representing in excess of $150 million in support of African enterprises and local African communities.

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