Washington — President Bush says he has experienced a number of uplifting moments during his two-term presidency, but none more powerful that witnessing a new and more hopeful era dawning in Africa.

“Over the past eight years, it's been moving to watch courageous Africans root out corruption, and open up their economies, and invest in the prosperity of their people,” Bush said at a November 12 charity dinner.  "The United States stands with these leaders as partners and friends and allies in hope through the work of the Millennium Challenge Account.”

The Millennium Challenge Account, created in 2003, seeks to reduce poverty by significantly increasing economic growth in recipient countries through a variety of targeted investments. (See MCA fact sheet.)

At the 2008 Bishop John T. Walker Memorial Dinner, Africare awarded its Distinguished Humanitarian Service Award to Bush for the work done for Africa by his administration and family as “a labor of love.”  The award and dinner are in memory of Bishop John T. Walker, the first African-American Episcopal bishop of Washington and a longtime chairman of Africare's board.

The annual dinner is held to benefit Africare, a U.S.-based charity that works to improve the lives and livelihoods of Africans by addressing needs in food security, agriculture, health and HIV/AIDS.

“Bishop Walker understood that disease and poverty and injustice are great challenges — but he also knew that the people of Africa have the talent and ambition and resolve to overcome them,” Bush said.

U.S. policy toward Africa has been one of partnership, not paternalism, because Americans believe in the potential of the African people, Bush said.

In February, Bush traveled to Africa with the first lady, and in Tanzania he signed a five-year, nearly $700 million Millennium Challenge Compact.  Bush said President Jakaya Kikwete called the compact a source of pride — “making it possible for the people of Tanzania to chart a brighter future.”

Bush emphasized that Kikwete said the compact made it possible for the Tanzanian people to chart their own future.

“It's uplifting to see people freed from hunger and thirst,” Bush said.

See the transcript of Bush's remarks at the dinner.

More information on Africare is available on the organization’s Web site.