Members of Congress see how women and girls are living better lives because of access to food, education and healthcare.
WASHINGTON (May 27, 2015) – A group of Congresswomen traveled to Malawi and Kenya with the global poverty-fighting organization CARE to see how the U.S. government is empowering the next generation of mothers and girls.
The delegation was led by CARE’s President and CEO, Helene D. Gayle marking her last congressional trip with CARE after nearly a decade of service. Dr. Gayle was joined by Ambassador Deborah L. Birx, M.D., U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator & U.S. Special Representative for Global Health Diplomacy, United States Department of State. Reps. Barbara Lee (D-CA) and Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL) co-anchored the trip. Other participants included Reps. Julia Brownley (D-CA), Lois Frankel (D-FL) and Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX).
The delegation was joined by other influential leaders from the U.S. Department of State, Center for Strategic and International Studies and the General Mills Foundation. The five-day trip highlighted the role U.S. investments in women and girl’s empowerment has played in building healthier, stronger and more resilient communities. This Learning Tour comes at a critical time as Congress debates the International Affairs Budget.
Despite some socioeconomic progress, both Kenya and Malawi continue to struggle with high rates of poverty, food insecurity, HIV/AIDS infection and maternal and child mortality. The trip started in Malawi, one of the poorest countries in the world, where the delegation witnessed how investing in women and girls results in higher educational attainment, expanded economic resources and healthier families.
The second half of the trip explored the challenges meeting high prevalence of HIV/AIDS, particularly among adolescent girls and pregnant women. In Kenya, the delegation focused on programs that showed the positive impact of the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR).
Participants in CARE’s May 2015 Learning Tour to Malawi and Kenya included:
- Dr. Helene Gayle, President & CEO, CARE
- Ambassador Deborah L. Birx, M.D., U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator & U.S. Special Representative for Global Health Diplomacy, United States Department of State
- Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA) • Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL)
- Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX)
- Rep. Julia Brownley (D-CA) • Rep. Lois Frankel (D-FL)
- Sandy Thurman, Chief Strategy Officer, Office of the U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator and Health Diplomacy, U.S. Department of State
- Emily Gibbons, Director of Congressional Relations, Office of the U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator and Health Diplomacy, United States Department of State
- Kim Nelson, Senior Vice President, External Relations and President, General Mills Foundation
- Janet Fleischman, Senior Associate, Global Health Policy Center, CSIS
- Joseph Blount, Business Executive and Philanthropist
- David Ray, Vice President of Advocacy, CARE
For more information on CARE’s Learning Tours, visit www.care.org/LearningTours. The CARE Learning Tours program is funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
About CARE
Founded in 1945, CARE is a leading humanitarian organization fighting global poverty. CARE places special focus on working alongside poor girls and women because, equipped with the proper resources, they have the power to lift whole families and entire communities out of poverty. Last year, CARE worked in 87 countries and reached more than 97 million people around the world.
Media Contacts
Stephanie Chen, schen@care.org, +1-202-595-2824