Here is a more in-depth look at what we were asking for on Capitol Hill:

~We argued for the preservation of the International Affairs Budget.

Currently, there is pressure to make cuts to the International Affairs budget (which is only 1.4% of the U.S. budget). This part of the budget covers costs for embassies, international development, and food aid. Many organizations, including CARE, need the funds from USAID (U.S. Agency for International Development) in order to continue their great works in countries around the world. Although this is a very tough time for the U.S. budget, we cannot allow this fact to come between us and those people all around the world who depend on us for the very basic things in life. Although $5 is not too much money to most of us in America, it is more than some people make in a month. Keeping this budget at its current levels helps the poorest of the poor, and even if the moral element is removed, helps the United States maintain its interests around the world.

~We asked our senators and legislators to support the Education for All act when it is reintroduced in the 112th Congress.

This act will provide assistance to developing nations so that they may provide universal education to all children. This is such an important issue because there are millions of children around the world who do not have an education. Of these millions of children, 2/3rds are girls. No one can deny the importance of an education, of literacy, to surviving in this world. When children are educated, they are able to access the business world, proper healthcare, and their own governments. When girls receive an education, they are likely to be healthier, equipped to help contribute to their families economically, and to educate their own children in the future. As a college-educated woman, I cannot bear the thought of a little girl somewhere who does not even have the chance to attend school, or even to learn to read. In one of our meetings with a member of a congressman’s staff, we were asked the question–”With so many failing schools in the United States, how can the congressman be expected to support something that supports education around the world, and takes attention away from the problems in the United States?” I agree that something needs to be done about the education system here in America, but I’m not sure how making sure that American kids get the education they deserve automatically precludes the notion of helping children in the poorest areas of the world. It is most definitely in our best interest to be sure that the global population is educated. Without education, we are sentencing a generation to the poverty and domination experienced by their parents and grandparents–if we do not step in to help these people, others may do so, and there is no guarantee that these others will not be radicals. I am definitely passionate about this issue, and recommend Greg Mortenson’s Three Cups of Tea and Stones into Schools to anyone who wishes to know more.

~ We talked about the importance of CARE’s microsavings programs, and our desire to have our legislators support an up-and-coming, bipartisan piece of legislation that will help direct already-given funds to programs that support the poorest of the poor: rural African women.

The concept of this future bill is that it is most definitely not a handout–the funds for these microsavings programs are used entirely for administration of the program and for one year of financial education (smart saving strategies, investment strategies, etc.). The funds used for the actual savings are from the earnings of the women (or men) themselves. Basically, a small group of women gets together and puts a certain minimum contribution per week (or other time period) into the group’s savings fund (CARE calls their programs Village Savings and Loans). After a predetermined period of time, women are able to take out small loans in order to fund their business ventures. The loans are paid back with interest, with all interest being paid to the group. Over time, the group’s funds will grow, allowing for more loans to be made. The ultimate goal is for these groups to be able to support larger loans and eventually, insurance and small lines of credit. CARE’s program began in Niger in 1991, and now 200,000 women in that country participate in the programs. From their meager contributions 20 years ago, the net worth of their funds is now more than $10 million. CARE currently works in around 20 sub-Saharan countries, and reaches around 1.9 million people. They have committed to reaching 30 million people in the next ten years. By investing in this sort  of program, the United States would be helping developing countries help themselves, eventually decreasing the need for foreign aid. Talk about a smart investment!

These issues are the ones we argued for on Capitol Hill, but CARE is committed to so many programs that it would be impossible to list them here! They do such great work around the world, and have thousands of supporters in my congressional district alone…probably millions across the U.S. and around the world. For more information, please check out www.care.org.