Sometimes it is easy to forget what an essential need infrastructure is. While getting ready to go to school or work this morning, did you spend much time thinking about the role that running water, electricity and all-weather roads played in getting you there? I know that I did not. However, a more critical look at the importance of infrastructure in Africa’s development is crucial for economic growth and poverty relief throughout the continent, as a lack of physical infrastructure is one of its most consistently overlooked problems.
Joe Mason is a regional faith organizer for ONE in Missouri and is passionate about mobilizing the Church. He shares a reflection of faith and advocacy after a recent trip to the Horn of Africa below:
As I walk along the dry, dusty road that leads to Garissa, my teeth feel the gritty earth that is carried for miles across the desolate plains in the northern regions of Kenya. My mouth feels parched, and my lips are cracked. My thoughts continue to return to a plastic bottle of water purchased in Nairobi several hours earlier. I’ve only been in this harsh environment for a short amount of time, and my body is reminding me that without continued hydration, it will soon begin to suffer.
USAID, the US government agency responsible for administering foreign aid, turns 50 this year.
To celebrate, ONE, along with PSI, PATH, FHI 360, World Vision and USAID, are hosting a “The Power of 1 Percent,” an event to highlight USAID’s accomplishments over the last five decades and discuss upcoming challenges, on Monday, October 3 from 3 to 5 p.m. It will be followed by expert panel discussions on the future of US investments in global health.
You don’t have to live in the nation’s capital or be a VIP to attend this event — you can watch and participate right from your computer. We’ll have a live webstream on our blog (look out for it on Monday), and our partners will be taking and responding to questions on Twitter using the #WhyForeignAid hashtag.
What a beautiful morning in Annapolis and great start of the day! With Phyllis Smith, a nurse from Baltimore, and Ranna Lanagan, ONE regional field director, we had the opportunity to meet with David McDonald, a staff member in Congressman John Sarbanes’ office. We learned that Rep. Sarbanes is familiar with ONE and is a supporter of development when administered efficiently. I was pleased that David recognized me from a prior event at which I had given him a ONE band — and we were all excited to hear that when he passed on the ONE band to Rep. Sarbanes, he actually wore the band to an event!
Will PEPFAR HIV Funding Be Flatlined by Budget Battles? – Supporters of PEPFAR worry that Obama risks “flatlining” the PEPFAR program due to his focus on funding Obama Care and solving the debt crisis. The current budget proposed by Obama would, in fact, cut funding for the Global Fund and programs like PEPFAR, threatening treatment and prevention programs for millions of people with HIV/AIDS, according to Senator Richard Luger (R-IN.
Making Change Happen, on a Deadline – The PreFabricated Building Parts Production Enterprise in Addis Ababa is leading the way in AIDS prevention in Ethiopia. In March, 2008, the company set and exceeded a goal that 70% of its employees get tested for HIV, using the Rapid Results strategy, “in which a group of people choose a project and carry it out in 100 days.” This strategy has been proven effective in developing countries around the world, although more research is necessary to prove the sustainability of the projects. (Tina Rosenberg, NYT)
Action: 14. Time: 5 minutes. Level of difficulty: Moderately Easy
For this week’s ONE Act, we want you to take action against the UNESCO-Obiang International Prize for Research in the Life Sciences. The $3 million award, funded by Equatorial Guinea President Teodoro Obiang (the longest-ruling head of state in Africa), recognizes “scientific achievements that improve the quality of human life.”
This award, which will be subject to a vote by UNESCO’s board within the next 10 days, is wrong on so many levels and represents a strong example of the country’s misguided spending priorities.
Next week, ONE is proud to be hosting members of the African Women Entrepreneurship Program (AWEP), a group of African women business leaders visiting the US, at a luncheon called “The Future if Africa is Female….Get Connected.”
ONE is campaigning to ensure that the Congressional budget does not cut foreign assistance programs like Feed the Future that help people break the cycle of poverty and hunger.
The Horn of Africa is experiencing its worst drought in 60 years. More than 11 million people, mostly nomadic pastoralists and farmers in south-central Somalia, north-eastern Kenya, and south-eastern Ethiopia, are severely lacking access to food.
2011 marks 30 years since the first cases of AIDS were documented. Take a closer look at the specific, achievable goals we must hit by 2015 to make this year the beginning of the end of AIDS.
As aid agencies warn more than 9 million people could be affected by a food crisis in East Africa, world leaders are failing to keep their 2009 promises to tackle the causes of chronic hunger and support farmers in the world's poorest countries.
Photo credit: State Department
