The funds were donated by (TIKA), the Turkish Coordination and Cooperation Agency, whose mission is to contribute to poverty eradication and sustainable development in partner countries.
McCurdy said that Turkey's "good will gesture" shows an equal partnership between the two countries. A partnership which goes back to the 1950s and 1960s when the US helped Turkey develop its infrastructure, highways, irrigation projects. "Now Turkey has become an economic power house in the region, it is showing its gratitude in helping native Americans in the US," says McCurdy.
There are lots of social problems amongst the American Indians says McCurdy, "unemployment is at 80 percent, there is alcoholism, drug abuse, and obesity. It is almost like a third world country. TIKA's grant does not pay for the entire cost but helps pay for most of it for the water tank."
He outlines other projects TCA is involved with, "many African-Americans and Hispanic people don’t have the funds for their children to study abroad. We give grants to minority students in US to study abroad programmes in Turkey."
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