Join Columbia High School graduate Holly Lehren at Words Bookstore (179 Maplewood Ave, Maplewood, NJ) on Tuesday, August 9 at 7:30 p.m., to learn about the fight against global poverty and her work with the Borgen Project, a non-profit and lobbying campaign working to make poverty and greater focus of U.S. foreign policy.
I work for the Borgen Project, a non- profit and lobbying campaign working to make poverty a greater focus of U.S. foreign policy. Every week, I speak with my Congressional leaders, Senator Cory Booker, Menendez, and Congressman Payne Jr., and ask for their support of U.S. foreign assistance programs.
I work for the Borgen Project for two reasons. When I was 13, I visited Robben Island, the cell that held Nelson Mandela for 18 years. And, I worked with a non-profit to aid the townships of Port Elizabeth, South Africa. So, the two experiences got me hooked.
I realize I’ve been very fortunate, being born to a family that helped me get to college so I could have the privilege of pursuing my dreams (I’m a double major in theatre and political science). Lots of other people haven’t had such luck. So, I’d like to help them any way I can.
In 1999, while working as a young volunteer in refugee camps during the Kosovo War and genocide, Clint Borgen recognized the need for an organization that could focus U.S. political attention on extreme poverty. In 2003, after graduating from Washington State University and interning at the United Nations, Borgen began developing the organization.
In need of startup funding, Borgen took a job living on a fishing vessel docked in Dutch Harbor, Alaska (the same location as “The Deadliest Catch”). That’s where he started the Borgen Project.
In the last 13 years, the Borgen Project has evolved into a national campaign with volunteers operating in 220 U.S. cities.
The Borgen Project’s supporters meet with U.S. Congressional leaders to secure support for crucial poverty-reducing legislation, mobilize people across the globe behind efforts to make poverty a political priority, teach basic advocacy skills that allow citizens to communicate with their government, and build awareness of global issues and innovations in poverty-reduction through the Borgen Project’s online and community presence.
Seven countries are home to 58% of the world’s hungry: India, China, Pakistan, Ethiopia, Bangladesh, Indonesia, and Tanzania. 2.7 million newborns worldwide die within their first month of life. Almost 200 million children under the age of 5 in developing regions are underweight for their age. 179 million infants in the least developed countries are not protected from diseases by routine immunization. And, 3.2 million children under the age of 15 currently live with HIV.
But thanks in part to the Borgen Project’s work, a lot of great progress has been made. In 1990, nearly half of the population in developing regions lived on less than $1.25 a day. This rate dropped to 14% in 2015. The total number of people living in extreme poverty has declined by more than half from 1.9 billion to 836 million. The number of underfed people has been almost cut in half from 23.3% to 12.9%.
This kind of work is made possible and this impact maintained when communities get involved. To help the developing world, first call Congress. Tell them to protect the International Affairs Budget. Congressional staffers keep a tally of every issue that voters call, write and email their leaders about. This information goes into a weekly report that is viewed by the Congressional leader. Just one email will get the issue on your leader’s radar. All it takes is a few seconds of your time to advocate on behalf of the world’s poor.
To learn about more ways we can help the developing world and the legislation the Borgen Project is pushing to continue making the best impact possible, come to Words Bookstore August 9, 2016 at 7:30 pm. I will explain further the Borgen Project’s mission, current goals concerning global poverty legislation, and out impact thus far.
To learn more, please visit the Borgen Project website.
Holly Lehren graduated from Columbia High School in 2015. She is now enrolled at Muhlenberg College and is planning a double major in Theatre and Political Science.
