2006 Archives
Mrs. Melanie Zimmerman Speech
Ladies and gentlemen, All protocol respected,
Allow me to start by quoting what French author Antoine de St. Exupery said in his book le Petit Prince :
Grown-ups never understand anything by themselves, and it is exhausting for children to have to provide explanations over and over again.
That's the way they are. You must not hold it against them. Children should be very understanding of grown-ups.
The children participating in today’s event are here to show the grown-ups that we are, the importance of mobilizing to combat child labor, but are also here to show us how talented and driven they are.
Thank you for joining us on this unique day. The fashion show will start in a few minutes. The NGOs participating in the event have worked very hard to make this happen. 106 different outfits were created by the children for the occasion! None of the models are professional, none of the seamstresses are professional, so please be indulgent!
The idea behind this fashion show and arts and crafts fair, was to allow these children rescued from child labor or child trafficking to show us what they are capable of doing, and to prove to us that their talents are better served in school or in vocational training rather than in cocoa fields, rubber plantations or domestic servitude.
Before I forget:
All the outfits you will see are for sale, so if you see something you like, please buy it. The proceeds from the sales go to pay for schooling of these children.
We have been touched by the mobilization of people around the world for this event. The Embassy sent out a call for fabric donations and we received boxes of fabric from all corners of the world. From people we did not know, from school children on the West Coast of the U.S., church groups in Georgia, retired civil servants in Washington, grand-mothers in Maryland and Paris. The Bureau of AF, the TIP bureau, the Dept of Home land security all sent boxes too!
Please allow me to introduce, formally, the Godmother, “la marraine” of this event, Mrs. Judi Marquardt. Mesdames et messieurs, Mme Judi Marquardt.