Extra Practice News Story 9: Investigative

Bill Gates and Ted Turner share joint venture in Africa

Posted: 5:23 p.m. MST, March 30, 2007

Logan, Utah -- Bill and Melinda Gates, along with Ted Turner, met with local officials in Africa this past week. The topic of discussion was a possible philanthropic venture to improve the education system throughout the country.

Bill Gates, Chairman of Microsoft, said that he has no formal relationship with Turner, but that they plan on working together to raise the education level in the country. Gates said that everything was going to be run through the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, but that a great deal of the funding would come from Turner's end. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has been around for seven years and has assisted millions in getting vaccinations for deadly diseases, as well as educating those who otherwise would not have received the opportunity. Gates also said that he wanted to put initiatives together on a continental level, as well as on a local level. To do that, Gates, along with Turner, met with local mayors and leaders to discuss possibilities.

African Mayor Malik Ok, said that he met with Turner and the Gates' last Wednesday. Ok said that they discussed mostly educational opportunities both locally and on a continental scale. "We know there's a lot of opportunity here," Ok said, "They want to come in and teach my people how to do things better." Ok also said that the timeline for this project was to start within a year or a year and a half. Some of Ok's villagers, however, had concerns about what this project would do for the area. Commenting on that, Ok said "Some of my people are concerned ... I don't share that concern. I think we can keep our ways of life." This only goes to show how willing Ok, as well as other African leaders, is to help this project to go as smoothly as possible.

Turner, an American media mogul, was quiet about what the plans were, but he did say that he felt "Bill and Melinda Gates are going to be wonderful to work with." This would not be the first time that Gates and Turner have worked together on a philanthropic venture. In 2000, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation teamed up with Ted Turner to donate $78 million to the acceleration of the campaign to eradicate polio in Africa. Turner shared the same feelings about the Gates' seven years ago when he said "The United Nations Foundation is delighted to work with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in supporting the polio eradication initiative."