NORWALK, CT - TechnoServe's 35th Annual Meeting will be held on Wednesday, May 14, 2003, at the Credit Suisse First Boston Conference Facility located at One Madison Avenue in New York City. Credit Suisse First Boston, a member of TechnoServe's Business Leadership Council, is once again donating the use of its facility.

During the daylong meeting, there will be three presentations:

· TechnoServe 101: Results for the rural poor of Africa and Latin America will feature Mozambican cashew entrepreneur and TechnoServe client Antonio Miranda and TechnoServe/Mozambique Country Director Jake Walter, who will discuss TechnoServe initiatives to create income, opportunity and economic growth for families, communities and countries.

· Coffee in Crisis: What can be done to help producers weather the storm? Vivek Mohindra, Principal at McKinsey & Company and lead consultant for TechnoServe's Global Coffee Initiative, will be joined by The Honorable Basil Mramba, Minister of Finance of the United Republic of Tanzania (invited) and TechnoServe/Tanzania Country Director Thom Dixon for a discussion of the coffee crisis and solutions that are working in Tanzania and other countries.

· Supermarkets Expand in Africa and Latin America: An opportunity for local producers? TechnoServe Country Directors Ernest van Panhuys (Nicaragua) and Nick Railston-Brown (Ghana) will be joined by Gareth Ackerman, Vice Chairman of Pick 'n Pay Stores Ltd. of South Africa and a TechnoServe Member, to discuss the rapid expansion of supermarkets in the developing world and the ways that TechnoServe will help small-scale producers to take advantage of this opportunity.

TechnoServe Directors, Members, invited guests and members of the media who have questions about TechnoServe's 35th Annual Meeting should contact Laura Johnson, Director of Marketing, at 203-899-3151 or ljohnson@tns.org.

TechnoServe, Inc.

TechnoServe, Inc.

TechnoServe is leading a movement that empowers people in the developing world to build businesses that break the cycle of poverty. Growing enterprises generate jobs and other income opportunities for poor people, enabling them to improve their lives and secure a better future for their families. Since its founding in 1968, the U.S.-based nonprofit has helped to create or expand thousands of businesses, benefiting millions of people in more than 30 countries. The Financial Times has rated TechnoServe one of the top five NGOs for corporate partnerships. Charity Navigator has also awarded its highest Four Star ranking to TechnoServe.

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