During his visit to Brazil, the president of the World Bank, Paul Wolfowitz, suggested that with its experience in the area Brazil could help the bank with social assistance in other poor countries.
"The Family Voucher program (Bolsa Família) has attracted international attention, especially in rich nations. They want to learn from our experience. Wolfowitz said the World Bank is interested in help from Brazil," explains Rosani Cunha from the Ministry of Social Development.
Yesterday Wolfowitz visited a slum near Brasília called Varjão, where 1,200 people receive assistance through the Bolsa Família program.
According to a bank spokesman, over the years Brazil has received a total of US$ 36 billion from the organization. At the moment, 55 projects with partial World Bank financing are underway in Brazil worth US$ 5.6 billion.
Wolfowitz has visited the states of Ceará and Pará. In Brasília, the capital of Brazil, he met with president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. In São Paulo he is scheduled to visit an ethanol plant and meet with business leaders.
ABr