[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 18]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 24261]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




H.R. 1409, THE ASSISTANCE FOR ORPHANS AND OTHER VULNERABLE CHILDREN IN 
   DEVELOPING COUNTRIES ACT: PROTECT OUR CHILDREN, PROTECT OUR FUTURE

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. JANICE D. SCHAKOWSKY

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, October 28, 2005

  Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Mr. Speaker, I support H.R. 1409, the Assistance for 
Orphans and Other Vulnerable Children in Developing Countries Act. This 
bill will provide assistance for the most vulnerable children in the 
poorest of nations for basic care, HIV/AIDS treatment, school food 
programs, education and employment training assistance, and protection 
of inheritance rights. This bill also establishes the position of 
Special Advisor for Orphans and Vulnerable Children within the United 
States Agency for International Development (USAID) to better 
coordinate the task of helping these children.
  As a mother and as a grandmother, I will not stand by while millions 
of children all over the world suffer through the most abject, hostile, 
and inhumane conditions. In the last decade alone, more than one 
million children were orphaned or separated from their families as a 
result of war. As of July 2004, there were more than 143 million 
children living in sub-Saharan Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the 
Caribbean who were identified as orphans, having lost one or both of 
their parents. Of this number, approximately 16 million children were 
identified as double orphans, having lost both parents--the vast 
majority of whom died from AIDS. According to a joint report of UNAIDS 
and UNICEF released in July 2004, every 14 seconds a child is orphaned 
by AIDS worldwide. Even orphans who are adopted continue to live a life 
of poverty and disadvantages due to the lack of proper infrastructure 
and the large poverty-stricken population. According to the United 
Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), orphans are less likely to be in 
school and more likely to be working full time. We must help and 
protect these children from a life of disease, crime, and uncertainty.
  I support H.R. 1409 because a child should be receiving a balanced 
diet, not worrying whether there will be food to eat the next day. A 
child should live in a secure and safe environment, not in such 
poverty-stricken conditions that they become victims to the sex trade. 
Every second, more of tomorrow's leaders are orphaned. We must do all 
we can to ensure that the world has the opportunity to see and benefit 
from their leadership, their potential. Over 33 humanitarian, NGO, and 
child care organizations support the passage of this bill. The valuable 
programs in H.R. 1409 can make a world of difference for orphans, 
proving them shelter, medical care, food, and, eventually a new home.
  Families across the United States and around the world are willing to 
welcome and adopt orphans from around the world. This means a new 
chance at a bright new future for the most vulnerable in our society. 
We need to do everything we can to make those possibilities a reality. 
I urge my colleagues to protect our children and our future by voting 
``yes'' on H.R. 1409.

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