Text 4428, 135 rader
Skriven 2007-04-24 23:30:56 av Whitehouse Press (1:3634/12.0)
Ärende: Press Release (0704243) for Tue, 2007 Apr 24
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Mrs. Bush's Remarks at the Launch of the President's Africa Education
Initiative Video
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For Immediate Release Office of the First Lady April 24, 2007

Mrs. Bush's Remarks at the Launch of the President's Africa Education
Initiative Video The Academy for Educational Development Washington, D.C.



10:28 A.M. EDT

MRS. BUSH: Thank you, Walter, thank you for that very kind introduction.
Thank you for the great work that you all do here to make sure children are
educated everywhere. I want to recognize, of course, Dr. Sarah Moten, the
Chief of the Education Division of USAID. Thank you so much, very much, Dr.
Moten. (Applause.) Stephen Moseley is here. He's the President and Chief
Executive Officer of the Academy for Educational Development. Thank you
very much, Stephen, very much. Thank you for joining us. (Applause.)

Members of the diplomatic corps, I want to thank all the ambassadors and
the different representatives of countries in Africa who have joined us
today. And I didn't know there were going to actually be spouses of Cabinet
members, but I see Marcia Jackson and Suzanne Nicholson here on the front
row. Thank you also for joining us.

I'm so happy to have this chance to talk with you all today about how we
can improve education throughout the developing world. Yesterday began
UNESCO's Education for All Week -- a time when the world renews its
commitment to education. Governments are reminded of their responsibility
to invest in the education of its citizens. Leaders are urged to work with
their counterparts in other countries to educate global citizens. And all
of us are called to help meet UNESCO's goal of giving every child access to
a good education by the year 2015.

Education has the power to transform individual lives, as each of us know.
It also has the power to transform communities and whole societies --
especially in the developing world. Yet in Africa, 38 million children --
most of them girls -- are not in school. Of those who do enter the first
grade, fewer than half of them will complete primary school. Adding to the
crisis, of course, is a lack of textbooks and, most important, a lack of
qualified teachers.

The United States is proud to partner with African governments to address
the challenges of education in their countries. In 2002, our government
launched the Africa Education Initiative -- a $600 million investment that
will provide 550,000 scholarships to African children, and train more than
900,000 teachers, by 2010.

In its first four years, the initiative has provided more than 250,000
scholarships to children in 40 countries. (Applause.) AEI has distributed
nearly 4 million textbooks to classrooms. The program has already helped
train more than 600,000 teachers.

I've seen AEI's early success in Ghana, where I visited the Accra Teacher
Training College. At the college, we launched AEI's Textbooks and Learning
Materials Program. As part of the program, six American universities --
primarily minority-serving universities -- have partnered with six African
countries to produce and print and distribute 15 million primary-school
textbooks. Representatives from some of these universities are here today,
and I'd like to ask them to stand. (Applause.) Thank you all very, very
much. Thank you for your dedication to Africa's children. I know this has
been a wonderful learning experience at these universities, as well, as
these universities have partnered with African countries, to produce
Africa-centered textbooks that will really be appropriate and right for the
children in these countries.

More than 80 million children will benefit from these classroom resources
provided through AEI. Yet the true benefits of the Africa Education
Initiative will reach millions more -- as African children who are educated
today secure the prosperity and the good health for their societies
tomorrow.

Three of these young people are with us this morning: Eunice Kaelo, Evelyn
Nkadori, and Agnes Kisai have joined us today.

Eunice, Evelyn, and Agnes are Maasai teenagers from the rural grasslands of
Kenya. In their community, education for girls is rare. Most girls stay at
home to help with the chores, and many are betrothed and married by the age
of 10. Eunice, for example, was unique among her 15 siblings: She's the
only one who received an education. Agnes's family had a hard time paying
her school fees, and they were almost forced to give her away in early
marriage. Evelyn was the only girl from her village to ever complete high
school.

Today, these three young women are educational pioneers. With help from
AEI's Ambassadors Girls Scholarship Program, they've completed high school
with outstanding academic records. Agnes, Evelyn, and Eunice have been
recognized for their accomplishments with full undergraduate scholarships.
Now they're pursuing college degrees at Chicago State University.
(Applause.)

These young women made the 8,000-mile journey to begin their studies early
in 2005. Before leaving, they were sent off from their villages with a
traditional Maasai blessing. For young women, the ceremony usually honors
an upcoming marriage. Young men are presented with land, and a warrior's
spear -- symbols of how they'll provide for their community, and make the
Maasai people proud. But Evelyn, Eunice, and Agnes were presented with a
different parting gift. Each of these young women received a pen -- a
symbol of how education will help them bring both pride and prosperity to
their people.

The "big three" -- as these students are called in their villages -- are
the first women in their communities to go to college. They understand that
their education begins a new chapter in their lives, but also in the lives
of their people. "I am the new face of the Maasai girl," Evelyn explains.
And "I'll be a source of hope in my community." Evelyn, Eunice, and Agnes,
would you stand, please? (Applause.) Congratulations. And joining them from
Chicago State University is the Director of the International Programs
study there, Dr. Adama Conteh. Dr. Conteh. (Applause.)

Millions of children can bring renewed hope to their communities through
the Africa Education Initiative. Thanks to each and every one of you in
this room for supporting this important program. Now, I'd like to tell you
more about the great work AEI is doing throughout Africa. I'd like to
present a video that was filmed in Kenya, Zambia and Senegal. This video
can educate a broad audience about AEI, and encourage leaders from
government and the private sector to join this effort.

Thanks to USAID and to the other agencies who produced this video. And
thanks to each and every one of you in this room for your commitment to the
children of Africa.

Thanks for also joining us, for watching and listening to the video. Now we
can roll the tape. (Applause.)

END 10:37 A.M. EDT
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