[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 16]
[Senate]
[Page 22649]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                      UNITED ORPHANAGE AND ACADEMY

  Mr. INHOFE. Mr. President, today I rise in support of the United 
Orphanage and Academy in Moi's Bridge, Kenya. As many of my esteemed 
colleagues know, Africa has a special place in my heart. I visit the 
continent several times a year to see a number of dear friends. My own 
granddaughter, Zegita Marie, joined our family through adoption from 
Ethiopia.
  As we hear virtually every day, Sub-Saharan Africa is in crisis; the 
statistics of devastation are staggering. In 2006, 2.8 million people 
in Sub-Saharan Africa contracted HIV and nearly 1 million children died 
from malaria, according to the World Health Organization. The United 
Nations estimates that in the same year, there were 12 million AIDS 
orphans living in the region. These pandemics are further compounded by 
famine, unsafe drinking water, corruption, and war.
  Much has been said of these heart-wrenching situations, but today my 
message is one of hope. During my travels, I have found Africa to be a 
place of beauty, courage, and ingenuity. Kenya alone is home to more 
than 42 distinct ethnic communities, the soaring heights of Mt. Kenya, 
and one of the largest drama events in Africa, the annual Kenya Schools 
and Colleges Drama Festival.
  Embodying these characteristics, the United Orphanage and Academy 
cares for 40 children impacted by the HIV/AIDS pandemic. Founded in 
2001, this beacon of hope lies in rural northwest Kenya, near the 
Ugandan border. Children ages 4 to 14 are provided with food, shelter, 
clean water, and quality education. One hundred students are currently 
enrolled in classes from pre-kindergarten through second grade. 
Moreover, the home is a place of reconciliation and unity as children 
from five distinct ethnic backgrounds and numerous tribes learn to 
work, play, and grow together.
  The vision for the orphanage stemmed from humble beginnings, as 
conversations between Rev. Stephen Chege and Henri Rush, an elder at 
Westminster Presbyterian Church, evolved into a vision to ``develop a 
caring and spiritual space for children to live and grow when they come 
to the point of having no family or guardian support available to 
them.'' As a result, an ambitious roadmap has been set in place, 
encompassing everything from procuring a van for vital transportation 
needs to constructing additional classrooms.
  Today, I would like to highlight efforts to expand this mission. 
Great need requires great hope, and great hope requires great action. 
Reverend Chege, Mr. Rush and their partners seek to double the capacity 
of the orphanage to house up to 80 children. Furthermore, plans exist 
to expand the school to include grades K-12 and further vocational 
training. The philosopher Aristotle once said: ``All who have meditated 
on the art of governing mankind have been convinced that the fate of 
empires depends on the education of youth.'' In my humble estimation, 
the fate of Africa depends, in large part, on the education of young 
men and women who learn to lead their communities with wisdom and 
integrity.
  I am filled with hope when I see individuals and communities coming 
together to respond to perhaps one of the greatest crises of our time, 
and I am encouraged when such initiatives emerge from transcontinental 
friendships. I believe the United Orphanage and Academy embodies the 
values and provides the tools necessary to equip Africa's youth to 
embrace a world of challenges and possibilities.

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