This is the VOA SpecialEnglish Development Report.
The richest man in the world is an American, Bill Gates. Hestarted Microsoft, the company that makes computer programs andoperating systems. Two years ago, Mister Gates and his wife Melindadecided to use some of their money to improve the lives of people indeveloping countries.
They started the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in Seattle,Washington. The foundation has twenty-four-thousand-million dollars.It is the biggest not-for-profit organization in the world. Bill andMelinda Gates started the foundation because they believed progressin medical science and information technology was not reachingpeople in developing countries. Their foundation finances programsaimed at improving health and education in poor countries.
One of the foundation’s majorgoals is the development of new medicines to prevent and treattuberculosis, malaria and AIDS. The World Health Organizationreports that these three diseases kill more than five-million peoplea year.
Another leading foundation project is an effort to reduce deathrates for babies in poor countries. The foundation also supportsefforts to provide necessary medicines to prevent diseases amongchildren in seventy-four developing countries. It also supportstraining programs for health workers.
Bill and Melinda Gates are also concerned about connecting peopleto the Internet computer system. The foundation believes men andwomen of all ages and races should be able to use the Internet as atool for lifelong learning. For example, the foundation gavenine-million dollars to more than three-hundred-fifty publiclibraries in Chile for computers and technology training.
The Gates Foundation usually provides money to developingcountries in the form of a gift or grant. However, there areconditions for receiving grants. Governments or other not-for-profitorganizations working in a country must promise to provide an equalamount of money. The receiver must also meet performance goals orrisk losing the money.
For more information, write to the Bill and Melinda GatesFoundation, P-O Box two-three-three-five-zero, Seattle, Washington,nine-eight-one-zero-two, U-S-A. Or, e-mail the organization atinfo-at-gatesfoundation-dot-org.
This VOA Special English Development Report was written by JillMoss.