The Angolan minister of Assistance and Social Welfare, João Baptista Kussumua, on Thursday met, in Brasília, with the Social Development minister of Brazil, Patrus Ananias, in the light of contacts he has been making with Brazilian authorities with view to gather this country's experience in combating hunger and reduce poverty.

During the meeting, the official mentioned programmes of the Angolan government that is currently underway, whose objectives have been achieved progressively after the end of the war, and stressed that Brazil's experience could be useful, in order to respond to some issues that are still raised concerning the implementation of national programmes.

Minister Kussumua received from the Brazilian official guarantee that the South American country is ready to cooperate with Angola through its experience in the combat to hunger and poverty.

The Brazilian experience is based on the application of programmes such as "Fome Zero" and "Bolsa Família", aimed at combating hunger and promoting food and nutritional security, respectively, as well as promoting the access to public services network, especially to health, education, food security and social assistance, as creating the possibilities of sustained emancipation of households and local development of territories.

The application of programmes is carried out in an integrated manner by the Ministries of Social Development and Combat to Hunger, Agrarian Development, Health, Education, Agriculture, Cattle-Breeding and Supply, Labour and Employment, Science and Technology, National Integration, Environment, Justice and Special Secretary of Policies for Promotion of Racial Equality, apart from the Farming Ministry, which implement policies strongly based on the guidelines of the "Fome Zero" project.

Regarding to the "Bolsa Família", the targeted population is made up of families living under poverty, with a per capita income ranging from 60 and 120 Reais and which includes pregnant women, children or adolescents from 0 to 15 years, or extreme poverty receiving up to 60 Reais per month, in a programme that covers over 11 million families all over Brazil.

The Angolan minister invited the Brazilian entity to visit Angola, in the company of a team of technicians in order to hold workshops and other upgrading courses, whose invitation was accepted, and the date is expected to be decided through diplomatic channels.

On the same day, minister João Baptista Kussumua met with senator Eduardo Suplicy (from the Labour Party of São Paulo), with whom he discussed about social issues, having the Brazilian parliamentarian expressed the desire to visit Angola to share experience.