USAID Ocean Freight Reimbursement Program

Established in 1997, USAID's Ocean Freight Reimbursement (OFR) Program is the oldest continuing support program offering subsidies to Private Voluntary Organizations (PVOs) to ship commodities overseas for use in privately funded development and humanitarian assistance programs. This program has been critical to the success of Counterpart International's (Counterpart) programs and operations across the world. 
 
The OFR Program provides small competitive grants to over 50 U.S. PVOs each year to reimburse the transport costs of donated commodities. While USAID reimburses the costs of ocean freight, participating PVOs pay for other costs, such as commodity acquisition, warehousing, insurance, local transportation and distribution.

The OFR grant sponsors development and humanitarian shipments to developing countries worldwide with the exception of the Newly Independent States.
 
This valuable funding has allowed Counterpart to deliver and distribute 261 forty-foot equivalent unit containers of humanitarian commodities such as clothing, footwear, books, vehicles, food, hospital/educational/ disaster/household/office supplies, equipment and outfitting valued at $31 million to the most vulnerable and needy populations throughout the world.
 
OFR funding has also helped Counterpart to outfit ill-equipped hospitals and clinics, furnish orphanages and elderly homes, and prepare future leaders, by providing books and educational supplies to many without such around the world.

Counterpart offers a full service commodity distribution program that targets the neediest populations in each country, particularly in rural provinces and disaster-prone areas. The donated material strengthens the institutions such as hospitals, clinics and health centers that serve these communities. OFR funding continues to be a key factor in helping Counterpart's humanitarian and long-term development activities.

Photos:
(top) © Robert Linder/www.sxc.hu
(bottom) © Counterpart International.