November 29, 2007
This has been an amazing day.
Our delegation met with the Global Business Coalition on HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria in Johannesburg. We spoke to the group about our support for increased funding for the U.S. HIV/AIDS initiative known as the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, or PEPFAR, and the importance of the private sector in fighting the pandemic.
Later, we visited a HIV/AIDS testing site, located in the Zola area of Soweto, sponsored by the Levi Strauss Red for Life Initiative, Centers for Disease Control, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the State Department. I talked to young people regarding the importance of getting tested.
Congresswoman Christensen and I helped to lead by example by getting tested publicly and we noted the very thorough pre- and post-testing counseling as well as enhanced efforts for confidentiality. Really impressive. We were very inspired to see young people sign up for testing – and saying our speeches convinced them to get tested.
Later, we went to Pretoria to meet with the nation’s minister of education, Naledi Pandor. Minister Pandor is a brilliant South African woman committed to the education of all of her country’s children and to its progress and development. She emphasized that inequality in the nation’s school system still exists as a result of decades of apartheid. Apartheid is the major challenge of South African’s education strategies, which revolve around quality of opportunities for all children as they strive to create a modern system of education.
We are very hopeful about the future possibilities of the CBC Foundation’s efforts to develop partnerships and closer ties to the education, economic and health aspirations of all South African people.
Rep. Barbara Lee of California
Chairwoman
African Globalism Committee
Congressional Black Caucus Foundation
Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Blog: Rep. Lee's post on her trip to South Africa
Second Day is Amazing and InspiringThis has been an amazing day.
Our delegation met with the Global Business Coalition on HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria in Johannesburg. We spoke to the group about our support for increased funding for the U.S. HIV/AIDS initiative known as the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, or PEPFAR, and the importance of the private sector in fighting the pandemic.
Later, we visited a HIV/AIDS testing site, located in the Zola area of Soweto, sponsored by the Levi Strauss Red for Life Initiative, Centers for Disease Control, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the State Department. I talked to young people regarding the importance of getting tested.
Congresswoman Christensen and I helped to lead by example by getting tested publicly and we noted the very thorough pre- and post-testing counseling as well as enhanced efforts for confidentiality. Really impressive. We were very inspired to see young people sign up for testing – and saying our speeches convinced them to get tested.
Later, we went to Pretoria to meet with the nation’s minister of education, Naledi Pandor. Minister Pandor is a brilliant South African woman committed to the education of all of her country’s children and to its progress and development. She emphasized that inequality in the nation’s school system still exists as a result of decades of apartheid. Apartheid is the major challenge of South African’s education strategies, which revolve around quality of opportunities for all children as they strive to create a modern system of education.
We are very hopeful about the future possibilities of the CBC Foundation’s efforts to develop partnerships and closer ties to the education, economic and health aspirations of all South African people.
Rep. Barbara Lee of California
Chairwoman
African Globalism Committee
Congressional Black Caucus Foundation
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