PHOENIX, AZ, May 2, 2006 – A team of highly skilled educators, businessmen and advocates representing Food for the Hungry and the City of Phoenix has just returned from a trip to Meulaboh, Indonesia. The trip was a demonstration of the long-term commitment of Food for the Hungry and the City of Phoenix to support the rebuilding program in Meulaboh, initiated through the “Phoenix Rising” partnership.

Indonesian children listen attentively as Councilwoman Peggy Bilsten teaches them some English lessons in a fun and creative way.

Food for the Hungry’s Senior Director John Frick and Phoenix Councilwoman Peggy Bilsten led the 10-day evaluation and training trip to Phoenix’s adopted city of Meulaboh. It was their third trip to Meulaboh since the powerful December 2004 tsunami devastated the South Asia region. The goals of this trip were to help Meulaboh’s education system, continue work on creating and maintaining jobs in the area, and meet with leaders to assess how the redevelopment effort is going.

In Meulaboh, Bilsten and some members of the team spent many hours teaching English lessons and crafts to Indonesian children who attend the English Club. The English Club is an after-school activity that has become very popular with many children in the area. As many as 85 children attend this class.

The team also met with government leaders to discuss opportunities for community rehabilitation and development. Some members of the team provided best practices training to small-business owners. Local women received training on health, nutrition and entrepreneurship.