Vermonters experience CARE's National Advocacy Conference
WASHINGTON, D.C. (June 16, 2006) - They traveled to Washington, D.C., from Vermont, serving as ambassadors for Africa.
| Vermont constituents met with Senator James Jeffords to encourage his support for efforts to fight global poverty. From left, Alexandra Renzo, Robert Fleming, Sheila Morrissey, Senator Jeffords, Meron Foster and Nick Colacchio. (Lynn Heinisch) |
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Seventeen-year-old Meron Foster lives in Norwich with the family that adopted her from Ethiopia when she was 9. Her best friend, Alexandra Renzo, went with the Fosters to Ethiopia last year, where the family has opened a home for orphans. Meron and Alexandra, high school juniors, helped raise $30,000 for the orphanage and will be part of a group of 25 people going to work there this summer.
"I want to show those children that the rest of the world is not shutting you out. I am one person who is here to tell you that your life matters," Meron said.
Nick Colacchio, 24, played professional soccer for six months in Botswana, and saw first-hand the impact of AIDS on his teammates and their families. The Middlebury graduate, who returned to Norwich two months ago, works for Grassroot Soccer, a nonprofit organization that trains professional soccer players and other powerful role models in Africa to teach children HIV prevention.
Robert Fleming, 37, opened a home for abandoned children in Entebbe, Uganda, where he lives when not in Burlington. Eight children now stay at the Malayaka House. Sheila Morrissey, 42, who lives with her husband, three children and a stepson in Shelburne, helped create a nonprofit to raise money and manage the project. Sheila and Robert use photos of the Ugandan infants as business cards.
The five met June 8 with Vermont's representatives in Washington, D.C., as part of CARE's National Advocacy Conference, in which some 350 people participated from 37 states. The Vermonters spoke passionately about their time in Africa, and lobbied for more resources to fight poverty.
"We are here to advocate on behalf of the 1 billion people who are living on less than $1 a day," Nick told Senator James Jeffords.
Jeffords, an Independent, listened to their requests and replied "You can count on me," before posing for a group photo.
The night before, at dinner, the team discussed a strategy for their meetings. Nick, the group leader, suggested they divide up the three subjects they needed to cover: funding for "core" humanitarian activities, such as programs to improve health; removing a requirement that one-third of money for AIDS prevention in Africa be spent only on abstinence programs; and legislation to increase support for the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Meron and Alexandra said they would like to discuss AIDS, since the Ethiopian children they know have often been orphaned by the disease or have HIV. Robert said he could talk about the Democratic Republic of Congo, as it borders Uganda. Nick and Sheila agreed to discuss funding for humanitarian programs.
At 10:30 a.m. Thursday, the group met in the rotunda of the Russell Senate office building. Robert offered his jacket to Nick, who was wearing a tie. "No, thanks, I'm not much of a suit guy," Nick said. "Yeah, me neither," said Robert.
At Senator Patrick Leahy's office, Nick and Sheila discussed funding for humanitarian programs with two aides. As the senior Democrat on the Appropriations subcommittee on foreign aid, Leahy oversees the writing of the foreign aid bill.
"We have been a little bit disappointed to see the president's budget proposal for next year. It's hard to have our leadership say this is something really important, but as far as funding, not demonstrate that this is as critical to them as it is to us," Nick said.
"To hear that there must be a decrease in funding feels threatening," Sheila said. "We are over there. To see the daily struggles of people and know that our support helps them feels fabulous. To not be able to help feels horrible."
Aide Jennifer Park said Senator Leahy would like to increase the "core" accounts, but funding was cut because of increased spending for the president's Millennium Challenge Account. "This is going to be a really tough year for foreign assistance," she said.
Meron talked about the need to find a more effective way to fight the AIDS pandemic.
"We feel very strongly because we have been there, and worked with mothers and children. The number of people dying is very frightening," she said. "It's very hard to come back here and think there is nothing we can do, to think that's just the way it is."
Alexandra said the "earmark" for abstinence programs is not realistic, given what she had seen. Nick added that the AIDS crisis demands "dynamic and creative" solutions.
Robert then pulled out a map of Africa to discuss the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The number of people dying from disease and poverty in the aftermath of war is the equivalent of two tsunamis a year, he said, referring to the disaster that struck South Asia in December 2004. Park said Senator Leahy supported Senate Bill 2125, which would provide U.S. assistance for DRC's upcoming presidential election, the first since 1960, and help rebuild the country's infrastructure, support programs to disarm former combatants and bolster international peacekeeping activities. She said Leahy also had successfully proposed an amendment to increase the amount of aid to DRC this year.
"You all are incredibly impressive. It's inspiring for us to hear your stories. We believe in the work you do and we don't hear enough from folks like you," Park said. "We don't disagree with a thing you have said."
Many people in Vermont support the three organizations they represent, Robert noted, and more than 1,600 people in the state give money to CARE.
"There are a lot of Vermonters that are aware of what is happening and are very supportive. I am concerned that maybe the message isn't getting through to Washington," he said.
In fact, the aides said, constituents are very active and informed, and the senator's office gets a lot of mail. "That's Vermont," Park said. "There is a lot of awareness."
Next, the five hurried past the Capitol to the Rayburn House office building for a meeting at Representative Sanders' office. Aide Becca Raiser met with the group in the hallway, where they gathered around a folding table to again discuss what the United States can do to fight global poverty.
"Congressman Sanders would say that our priorities are backwards in this country," Raiser said. She cited the money being spent on war and said, "The impact that money could have on the programs you are working on … you are on small budgets and are able to touch many lives. It's a very frustrating time. We are seeing our priorities across the board being cut."
Before leaving, Robert highlighted the number of people in the state supporting their efforts and asked what message they could take back to the congressman's constituents.
"You can be assured that Congressman Sanders supports your initiatives," Raiser said. "You can count on his support."
With their mission accomplished, they returned home to continue their work. Vermont and Africa should be proud. No one could have represented them better.
