Distinguished Members of the Government
Leaders and Members of the Community of El Kawther
Distinguished Visiting Delegations
Ladies and Gentlemen,

It gives me great pleasure to be with you today.  I always appreciate the opportunity to travel in this fascinating country and experience the warm hospitality of its people.

We have come together today to witness the initiation of a project that will provide access to clean water for the community of El Kawther.  This project is just one of many that the United States and Mauritania are jointly undertaking under the “Food for Progress” program.  This important cooperative partnership between the American Embassy and the Commission in Charge of Social Protection and Food Security responds to the basic needs of Mauritanian communities that seek to better their lives.

Ladies and Gentlemen

Few needs are more basic to life than clean water.  For those without it, there is a greatly increased risk of disease and starvation.  They must spend too much of their daily lives just searching for it or carrying it over long distances.  This, in turn, prevents them from devoting their energies to other tasks that could lift them above the level of subsistence.  Seen in these terms, it is a very high price to pay for water.

We need not accept this situation.  I salute the leaders and the entire community of El Kawther who decided that it was possible to do better and so sought the assistance they required.  They are a testament to the growing sense of purpose and faith in the future of Mauritania, the newest member of the family of democratic nations.  I would like to assure you that, not only here but throughout Mauritania, my government stands ready to work side-by-side with the Mauritanian government to improve access to clean water, food security, health, and education through vital projects such as this one that we dedicate today.

Thank you.

Dennis Hankins, Chargé d’Affaires
United States Embassy in Mauritania
September 27, 2007