Motorola Foundation Donates $200,000 to Support Education and Healthcare in Afghanistan

CARE and CURE International Receive Grants to Support Community-Based Education for Girls and a Family Medicine Residency at the CURE International Hospital of Kabul.

SCHAUMBURG, Ill.; MERRIFIELD, Va.; and LEMOYNE, Penn. – Motorola, CARE and CURE International announced that the Motorola Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Motorola, is donating funds totaling $200,000 to the two aid organizations to support education and healthcare programs in Afghanistan.

CARE received a $100,000 grant from the Motorola Foundation to support the Community-Based Education for Girls Project in Afghanistan. The project began in 2006 and seeks to expand sustainable access to quality secondary education for rural girls in Khost province through community-managed schools.

Teaching kits, student-teaching internships and access to certificate programs from the Ministry of Education will empower students in rural areas to secure jobs in teaching and health education after graduation. Schoolteachers and administrators also will be trained to self-manage the schools and employ community-based education. With support from the Ministry of Education and its local departments, the project provides rural Afghan girls an opportunity to complete secondary schooling for the first time.

CURE International received a $100,000 grant from the Motorola Foundation to support the CURE International Family Medicine Residency Program, the first of its kind in Afghanistan. This three-year program educates Afghan doctors in a variety of medical disciplines such as internal medicine, pediatrics, general surgery, obstetrics and gynecology, and orthopedics. CURE’s family medicine residency program, which is officially recognized by the Afghan Ministry of Public Health, provides both short- and long-term benefits to an Afghan healthcare system that is in dire need of doctors. According to the World Health Organization, there are only two doctors per 10,000 people in Afghanistan, compared to 26 doctors per 10,000 people in the United States.

“Motorola is committed to supporting inspiring and worthwhile organizations like CARE and CURE International,” said Eileen Sweeney, director of the Motorola Foundation. “We are proud to assist these valuable programs that make such a difference for the people and communities of Afghanistan.”

According to Marcela Hahn, executive director of CARE’s Strategic Partnerships and Alliances, “A major constraint in the educational system in Afghanistan is a shortage of quality secondary schools in rural areas. This generous grant from Motorola Foundation will provide an opportunity for girls living in rural areas to advance beyond 6th grade, complete secondary school and gain valuable jobs in their local communities.”

“We are very grateful for this generous grant from the Motorola Foundation,” said Dr. Scott Harrison, CURE International’s president and CEO. “One of the greatest challenges facing the Afghan healthcare system is the lack of skilled doctors. Training represents a major part of the solution. For the past eight years, CURE International has invested heavily in the training of Afghan medical professionals with initiatives like this family medicine residency program. Through this grant from the Motorola Foundation, our residents will acquire the skills that will enable them to deliver life-saving medical care to thousands of Afghans."

About the Motorola Foundation
The Motorola Foundation is the charitable and philanthropic arm of Motorola. With employees located around the globe, Motorola seeks to benefit the communities where it operates. The company achieves this by making strategic grants, forging strong community partnerships, fostering innovation and engaging stakeholders. Motorola Foundation focuses its funding on education, especially science, technology, engineering and math programming. For more information, on Motorola Corporate and Foundation giving, visit: www.motorola.com/giving.

About Motorola
Motorola is known around the world for innovation in communications and is focused on advancing the way the world connects. From broadband communications infrastructure, enterprise mobility and public safety solutions to mobile and wireline digital communication devices that provide compelling experiences, Motorola is leading the next wave of innovations that enable people, enterprises and governments to be more connected and more mobile. Motorola (NYSE: MOT) had sales of US $22 billion in 2009. For more information, please visit www.motorola.com.

About CARE
CARE fights root causes of poverty in the world’s poorest communities. CARE places special focus on working alongside poor women because, equipped with the proper resources, women have the power to help whole families and entire communities escape poverty. In 72 countries, women are at the heart of CARE’s community-based efforts to improve education, health and economic opportunity. Last year, CARE and our partners helped more than 59 million people effect real, positive changes in their lives. For more information, go to: www.care.org.

About CURE International
CURE International is a nonprofit organization that transforms the lives of children and their families in the developing world through medical and spiritual healing. Since 1998, it has treated more than 1.1 million patients and performed more than 78,000 life-changing surgeries. For more information, go to: www.cure.org.