Following through on G8 commitments

[FixOurWorld]

World Vision Canada

February 7, 2011

Following through on G8 commitments Dear Linda, Parliamentary delegation visits Ethiopia with World Vision Canada In January, three Canadian Members of Parliament (MP) visited Ethiopia with staff from World Vision Canada, in order to see what progress on maternal and child health looks like at the community, district and national levels. Members of Parliament, Peter Braid, John McCallum and Lise Zarac, were able to see why Canadians should invest in a basket of interventions like vitamin supplements, nutritious diet, family planning and mosquito nets given through trained health extension workers contributing to a strong health system. Members of Parliament John McCallum, Peter Braid and Lise Zarac, visit a World Vision funded water project, while on their recent trip to Ethiopia with World Vision Canada. The group were, "impressed by [the] access to clean water" that this project provided the community. In a visit to the State Minister for Health, MPs learned about the progress Ethiopia has made on maternal and child health, and their plans for the future including investment in family planning, improved care during pregnancy through further training and ambulances and expansion of midwifery training. The group also heard from the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) how Canadians are contributing to maternal and child health through Canadian government funded nutrition, disease prevention and food security programs. Visit the Advocacy in Action website for reflections on this trip by Elly Vandenberg, Director of World Vision Canada's Ottawa Bureau. Following through on G8 commitments The focus of World Vision's global Child Health Now campaign in 2010 was ensuring that G8 leaders made concrete commitments to improving the health of children. With your support for World Vision's work, Prime Minister Stephen Harper, acted as a leader on issues of child and maternal health. The Muskoka Initiative committed $7.3 billion to the cause, and $1.1 billion of that was new money from the Canadian government. This year, World Vision is launching a campaign to ensure that Canada follows through on commitments to child and maternal health in 2011 and beyond. World Vision has partnered with celebrity chef, Roger Mooking, to examine the issue of child nutrition and food security and how Canada's foreign aid commitments can impact on these issues. This month Roger will be travelling to Cambodia to visit some of World Vision's child and maternal nutrition programs. In May, 2011, Roger will visit select Canadian cities, to meet you—the Justice Network—and talk about how food security and nutrition impact not only the global community, but your cities and families as well. We'll provide you with more information in the coming weeks about how you can participate in these exciting events. Sincerely, Your Advocacy Campaigns Team Cheryl and Bryna

World Vision is a Christian relief, development and advocacy organization dedicated to working with children, families and communities to overcome poverty and injustice. As followers of Jesus, we are motivated by God's love to serve all people regardless of religion, race, ethnicity or gender.