OTTAWA — International Development Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau says a federal program to match donations for the East African famine generated $21.3 million from Canadians. Nevertheless, Jessie Thomson, senior humanitarian director for CARE Canada, says the appeal worked and fundraising did spike thanks to the visibility the matching program added. “I do think the matching fund served as a really powerful tool in mobilizing attention to the crisis that wouldn’t have been there otherwise,” she said. The 2004 tsunami raised $213 million. Ten different aid agencies will share the $21.3 million in matching funds, Bibeau’s office said.

Source: National Post August 17, 2017 21:33 UTC