Dr. Ali Said Matano, Executive Secretary, LVBC

Mr. Jean Baptiste Havugimana, Director Productive Sectors, EAC

Dear partners and guest

It’s my pleasure to join the start of the 11^th PREPARED Project Coordination Committee Meeting. I am looking forward to learning from your varied experiences as USAID’s regional implementing partners under the PREPARED Program. 

As you know, the PREPARED Program will end on September 30, 2018.  However, the U.S. government’s investments will continue to support East African-led strategic priorities for biodiversity conservation, water resource management, and combatting wildlife trafficking.

As an example, we are very pleased that the USAID regional East Africa office has leveraged an additional $2.5 million for the Global Sustainable Water Partnership Activity that will support water security activities in the transboundary area across the Kenya and Tanzania border in the Mara River Basin.  I am happy to hear that the program is coordinating closely with Dr. Matano and the LVBC team.

The more I have learned about the PREPARED Program, I am impressed with the leadership that has been demonstrated and the strong collaborative models you have been using.

The Program Coordination Committee and Project Implementing Committees are important platforms for joint review of progress and strategic work planning.  These efforts are a model of how multiple institutions can coordinate on shared visions and activities. 

In its design of future regional environment activities, USAID is building on the successes of the PREPARED Program. We are supporting the strong strategic leadership of the EAC and maintaining collaborative management structures that will ensure the conservation of transboundary natural resources. In addition, future activities will increase the perceived value of living wildlife and reduce wildlife poaching and trafficking.

I am pleased that the EAC and LVBC continue to make strides in securing new resources and technical assistance from other partners — such as the Federal Government of Germany, the European Union and the United Nation’s Environment Program — that will complement USAID’s support. 

We look forward to our continued partnership and building on the many successes that we have already achieved.

I look forward to learning more this morning about current PREPARED activities.

Thank you.