[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 110 (Wednesday, September 4, 2002)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1483]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               NYUMBANI ORPHANAGE MARKS 10TH ANNIVERSARY

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                           HON. GEORGE MILLER

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, September 4, 2002

  Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to join 
with Members of this House and many others throughout the world in 
congratulating Father Angelo D'Agostino, SJ., MD and his dedicated team 
who are marking the 10th anniversary of the founding of the Nyumbani 
Orphanage in Nairobi, Kenya. Father D'Ag, as he is universally known, 
created and has tirelessly built this unique facility for HIV-positive 
children in the midst of AID-ravaged sub-Saharan Africa. I had the 
honor to visit Nyumbani several years ago, as have several other 
Members of the House and Senate, and I know we all salute Father D'Ag, 
his staff, and the children for the great work they are doing.
  Before Nyumbani, HIV-positive children were being abandoned, excluded 
from schools, orphanages and hospitals, left to die without medical 
care or a home. Father D'Ag, a physician and priest, has built this 
refuge for the children, including a modem medical laboratory and 
school, and increasingly is beating the odds and providing the children 
a chance to survive and live productive lives.
  Nyumbani also operates the Lea Toto community-based outreach program 
which works in the desperate slums of Nairobi with adults and young 
people who are HIV-positive or at risk of AIDS, educating them and 
providing medical services. Today, the Nyumbani orphanage is caring for 
85 children. As Father D'Ag recently wrote, ``When Nyumbani was first 
established, very few of us thought these children would grow to 
adulthood, but through all your love, prayers, care, attention and 
valued contributions and donations, we are keeping the kids alive, 
happy and educated. We expect them to become valued members of Kenyan 
society.''
  The program is also making progress in changing public attitudes 
about HIV children, and recently was informed by the Nairobi City 
Council Education Office that they are requesting local schools to 
accept Nyumbani's school-age children. This was unthinkable just a 
short while ago in Kenya, and a genuine testament to the great work of 
the Nyumbani project. I am also very pleased to bear that the U.S. 
Ambassador to Kenya, Johnnie Carson, whom I met during his earlier 
service in Ho Chi Minh City, is planning on honoring Nyumbani at an 
embassy reception later this year.
  It goes without saying that the financing of the Nyumbani program 
continues to be a daily struggle notwithstanding the many contributions 
from individuals and governments. There is a new ``Nyumbani Gift Shop'' 
that sells locally-made items and gives all profits to the Nyumbani 
project. While in Kenya, I urged our local AID offices to expand U.S. 
assistance to this worthy program, and I very much hope that we will 
continue to provide assistance without imposing burdensome regulations 
that handicap the ability of the project to utilize our funds 
efficiently. In addition, efforts to secure private contributions and 
donations to enable Nyumbani to continue and expand its efforts in 
Africa continue in the United States and worldwide.
  The Nyumbani program is offering medical services, education, family 
and hope to dozens of children and others in Kenya, and deserves the 
recognition and support of all Members of the House and all Americans. 
I salute Dr. D'Ag and his co-workers, and the children of Nyumbani on 
their 10th anniversary.

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