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MEDIA ADVISORY – April 28, 2003
For Immediate Release
World Vision To Meet with President
- President Bush to champion $15 billion Global AIDS Bill in Rose Garden ceremony
- House of Representatives expected to consider bill later this week
- World Vision’s Princess Kasune Zulu to meet with president in Oval Office
WASHINGTON, DC— World Vision representative Princess Zulu will meet this week with President Bush to discuss the global HIV/AIDS crisis as the President and the House of Representatives are expected to turn their attention to the President’s $15 billion request to fight the worldwide HIV/AIDS crisis that claims the lives of 8,000 people each day.
In a Rose Garden ceremony this Tuesday, the President will champion the Global AIDS Bill, which designates $3 billion a year for five years to fight AIDS in Africa and the Caribbean. The House of Representatives is expected to consider the bill this Wednesday or Thursday.
"The crisis in Africa requires immediate attention. World Vision asks for swift passage of this bill," said Princess Kasune Zulu, a World Vision worker from Zambia who has tested HIV positive. "Any delay will result in the loss of human lives." Princess Zulu is scheduled to meet President Bush in the Oval Office on Tuesday.
World Vision has 15 years of experience in working in AIDS-affected communities. With programs that strengthen community efforts to care for orphans within their own homes or extended families, World Vision has brought basic education, nutrition, shelter, protection and hope to more than 40,000 orphan children in Africa. Through partnerships with local churches, World Vision is expanding its prevention, care and advocacy work to care for those affected by HIV/AIDS in the developing world.
World Vision encourages Americans to contact their congressional representatives now to urge swift passage of the bill. In addition, World Vision supports designating at least 10 percent of the allocated funds to help the 13 million orphans and vulnerable children who are suffering because of AIDS. This includes an aggressive effort to educate children young people on how to stay HIV negative.
WHO: Princess Kasune Zulu, of Zambia, and her husband tested positive for HIV in 1997. She now works with World Vision Zambia as an international spokesperson and serves area development projects and partners of the Hope Initiative, World Vision’s program to help those affected by HIV/AIDS. Princess is also host of "Positive Living," a nationally syndicated radio program in Zambia which helps listeners address issues and personal problems associated with the AIDS pandemic.
WHAT: Princess Zulu will meet President Bush in the Oval Office to speak on behalf of millions of women, orphans and vulnerable children affected by the global AIDS pandemic. She is available for interviews following the Rose Garden ceremony.
WHEN: Tuesday, April 29, 2003 at 1:50 p.m. EDT.
WHERE: White House Rose Garden
CONTACT: mediainfo@worldvision.org
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