The First Lady of the United States, Mrs. Laura Bush, on her
first visit to Zambia, praised US Mission Staff for their tireless hard work. Speaking to US
Mission staff at the Taj Pamodzi Hotel in Lusaka soon after her arrival on June 28, Mrs. Bush
thanked both US citizens and Foreign Service Nationals at the US Mission in Zambia for working
hard to help uplift the living standards of Zambians.
She said the US citizens working thousands of miles in foreign
lands away from their family and friends were really making a difference in the lives of people in
the countries in which they work. "This is a great effort which we all appreciate," she said.
She also paid tribute to the Foreign Service Nationals, saying
the US Mission would not be able to accomplish its work without their contribution.
Mrs. Bush made special mention of Peace Corps volunteers who are
doing tremendous work during their tour of duty. She recalled personal friends who worked as Peace
Corps volunteers many years ago whose work is appreciated even today.
Mrs. Bush is happy with the US Mission's activities, especially
in the areas of HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. She said the US government, and in particular
President George W. Bush, must be appreciated for providing funding through PEPFAR to help stem
the devastating spread of HIV/AIDS throughout the world and particularly Africa.
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| US First Lady, Mrs. Laura Bush, and her Zambian counterpart, Mrs. Maureen Mwanawasa, visit a USAID/Zambia funded project. Photo: USAID/Zambia. |
She said the United States must continue working with African
people to eradicate malaria. "We have done it in the USA. Many people may not recall that not so
long ago, we had malaria in the USA but it is now gone," she said. She is optimistic that the
battle against malaria will be won. "Just imagine what a lot of difference it would make if there
was no malaria in Africa," she said, amid applause.
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