Exxon Mobil Corporation, through its affiliate, Esso Exploration Angola (Esso Angola), has announced $3.5 million in grants for public health and education programs in Angola.

The ten grants, provided by the ExxonMobil Foundation, are aimed at combating malaria and expanding educational opportunities for women. The grants will be disbursed in partnership with national and international NGOs. The grants will provide additional financial support for existing programs and also facilitate the development and deployment of new programs.

The anti-malaria grants will support programs that help two of the most vulnerable groups: women and children less than five years of age. The programs include training and education on prevention and treatment, the provision of insecticide treated bed nets and other medical resources, and access to health facilities.

The women’s educational grants, in addition to providing vocational training and literacy education, will support a training program for teenage girls.

“These grants will fund programs focused on providing multiple social benefits for the people of Angola, including disease prevention, education and economic development,” stated Andy Swiger, senior vice president for ExxonMobil.

The ExxonMobil Foundation’s signature programs include the ExxonMobil Malaria Initiative, established in 2000, to support the prevention, control and treatment of malaria, and the ExxonMobil Women’s Economic Opportunity Initiative, established in 2005, to help women in developing countries fulfill their economic potential and drive social change in their communities.

Since 2000, the ExxonMobil Foundation has contributed more than $23 million in Angola through the two signature programs, said a statement.-TradeArabia News Service