SEATTLE — A future where mothers and their children no longer face the threat of preventable death is on the horizon. Thanks to increased bipartisan support in Congress the Reach Every Mother and Child Act of 2015 shows promise of making it through committee. Also known as the Reach Act, this legislation aims to end preventable maternal and child deaths in developing countries with the assistance of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). To date, 79 Democrats and 56 Republicans have co-sponsored this legislation in the U.S. House; nine Democrats and eight Republicans have co-sponsored this legislation in the…
Author: Summer Jackson
Summer Jackson
Summer has a degree in professional journalism from the University of Minnesota. She has a passion for writing, traveling and meeting new people.
SEATTLE — No two Peace Corps volunteers share the same experience; Helina Tebebu Haile can attest to that. Haile spoke with the Borgen Project about her two years of service in the Peace Corps in Rwanda, her experiences as an Ethiopian-American woman in Rwanda and what she would like Americans to know about the country. She currently resides in Kigali, the capital of Rwanda. Borgen Project (BP): Why did you decide to join the Peace Corps? Helina Haile (HH): Service has always been a big component in my life. I was influenced by the values and morals instilled in me…
WASHINGTON, DC — Representative Karen Bass has made fighting global poverty a priority in the six years since she was first elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2010. She has been an advocate for many initiatives that would reduce global poverty and improve the lives of people living outside of the United States. Bass became interested in community activism as a child watching the Civil Rights Movement with her father. At the time she made a lifetime commitment to effecting social change in her community and abroad. As a Congresswoman, she supported the African Growth and Opportunity Act…
Moms Against Poverty (MAP) is proof that a mother’s love extends beyond her own children. The organization, which helps children living in poverty, is active in more than six countries including Cambodia, India, Iran, Senegal, Sierra Leone and the United States. The organization has established orphanages in order to provide children food and shelter in a safe environment. MAP collaborates with local partners to provide health care and meet basic health needs in rural and developing areas. Additionally, they have founded an educational outreach program that provides children with a variety of classes, including vocational options. Delfarib Fanaie and Ladan…
SEATTLE — The Reach Every Mother and Child Act of 2015 is gaining momentum with a surge of new cosponsors in 2016. Eleven Democrats and 12 Republicans have chosen to cosponsor this legislation since January 2016. The Reach Every Mother and Child Act of 2015, also known as the REACH Act, seeks to end preventable maternal, newborn and child deaths globally within one generation, according to the legislation. “The health and well-being of the world’s mothers and children is not — and never has been — a partisan issue,” RESULTS Executive Director Joanne Carter said in a Roll Call blog…
SEATTLE — Life jackets on Lesvos lay piled by the thousands after Syrian refugees make the harrowing journey across the sea to Greece. News outlets and celebrities like Susan Sarandon, say these life jacket graveyards speak to the magnitude of the Syrian refugee crisis. The life jackets on Lesvos serve as a harsh reminder for many refugees of their dangerous journey while escaping war-torn homes. However, some refugees and volunteers have found new and very helpful uses for the life jackets that once aided in a safe sea passage. Mattresses Mads Damgaard Peterson, a Danish volunteer, wanted to find a…
SEATTLE — Providing expectant mothers with quality prenatal care is an objective for USAID as they work to reduce stillbirths and maternal deaths in impoverished nations. The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has played a crucial role in ensuring the survival of mothers and newborns during and post-pregnancy. Every year nearly 3 million children die in their first month of life and an additional 2.6 million women suffer stillbirths according to USAID. “Pregnancy and motherhood ought to be a time for celebration rather than for mourning,” said USAID Deputy Child and Maternal Survival Coordinator Katie Taylor in a…
ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia — House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce, R-C.A., commended Ethiopia’s economic growth and counter-terrorism efforts during his visit in January 2016. Chairman Royce’s bipartisan delegation met with a number of high level political leaders including Ethiopian Prime Minster Hailemariam Desalegn, Africa Union Deputy Chairperson Erastus Mwencha, Ethiopian Speaker of House of People’s Representatives Abadula Gemeda, U.S. Ambassador to Ethiopia Patricia Haslach, and U.S. Ambassador to the African Union Susan Page. In meetings they discussed regional security issues, development and economic growth, and human rights – including freedom of the press, and greater opportunities and rights for women. “This…
SEATTLE — Andy Murray raised 83,000 British Pounds for UNICEF through the Andy’s Aces initiative in under four months last year. The Andy’s Aces initiative began in September 2015 when Murray pledged to donate 50 British pounds for every ace he scored until the end of the year, according to Look to the Stars, a website devoted to news about celebrities and charitable giving. Murray, who began supporting UNICEF in 2014, wanted to raise funds on behalf of children who were displaced due to the ongoing crisis in Syria. “I remember watching the news last summer and deciding I wanted…