Angola has been ravaged by civil war for 27 years and finally achieved peace within its borders in April 2002. Half of the population is under the age of 18 and know only war. Allan Markin, chairman of Canadian Natural Resources Limited (CNRL) sponsored a trip to Angola for Mary Tidlund, Dr. Violet Shadd and Eliza Cutcher last October and November. The purpose of the trip was to explore if donated funds could be directed to the people in Angola in order to support and empower them in self-sustaining projects.

UNITA's (the rebels) headquarters were located in Huambo, a shell with bullet-riddled buildings and empty, looted manufacturing plants with nothing left but the walls, without windows, doors or roofs. ACement shell.

Water posts in the musseques (ghettos) where mainly women buy clean water. The money pays for maintenance and administration. Many water wells are drilled by hand, without rigs, employing local people.

CNRL generously provided office space and transportation that made the trip successful. The team met with the UN, UNISEF, many non-government organizations (NGO's), the oil companies BP and Chevron Texaco and local individuals. Numerous NGO's were identified for future donations and at present we are in the process of donating funds to Development Workshop, an NGO run by Canadians who have been in Angola for the past twenty years.

The first project that will be funded is a micro finance project in the rural town of Huambo which we visited. This is one of the hardest hit areas in Angola. The rebel leaders used this city as its headquarters during the war. The micro finance project mainly supports women in small business. The support given to women will educate them and give them experience with small business loans which in turn will enable them to feed and nurture their families more adequately.

Roadside market on the way to Bengo.