H.E. Ambassador Sylvie Lucas, Ambassador of Luxembourg in Washington DC, recently hosted a fundraising event for Mentor Foundation USA at the Luxembourg Embassy in Washington.

During her welcoming remarks, she mentioned that HRH Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg has enthusiastically supported the cause of mentoring youth in fighting the scourge of drug abuse in society. About the reason for this support for Mentor International, Ambassador Lucas quoted Grand Duke Henri “Being a father of five, it was for me only natural to engage myself in this organisation in order to help fight this plague of the 20th century.”

In his remarks to the supporters of Mentor International, Mr. LaMont Wells, Chairman at Mentor Foundation USA said “For every child we can show that there is an alternative, it helps us all.” He explained the approaches taken by Mentor Foundation USA to teach the youth about talking about their experiences and tell their stories. “These kids are not drug users…and if you hear their stories, it will bring tears to your eyes,” said Mr. LaMont.

Ms. Gunilla Girardo, President & CEO Mentor Foundation USA talked about the challenges “young people without a caring adult in their lives,” face very day. Describing the difficult challenges, Ms. Girardo mentioned that there are “3 million kids who drop out of high school every year and every day 2,400 young people visit the ER (Emergency Room) for drug and alcohol related overdoses.” Ms. Girardo then talked about the solutions to this serious problem and mentioned that prevention is the key.

Dr. Bob DuPont, Board Member, Mentor Foundation USA and President, Institute for Behavior and Health, Inc. said "Sweden is unique in the world ...because of Sweden's commitment to drug-free life." He explained how Sweden confronted and tackled its problem with drug abuse and discovered what it took to address the societal problem. “It is un-Swedish to use drugs,” said Dr. DuPont, who had performed major roles including being the former Director, National Institute on Drug Abuse and the former White House Drug Chief.

Mr. Thomas A. Werner, who leads Substance Abuse Prevention through education and awareness in Maryland, stated his concern that about the disproportionate share of this problem meaning that “the US has a small share of the world’s population but it consumes a very large proportion of drug use.”

Structured Finance Industry Group (SFIG), represented by Sairah Burki, Executive Director, was recognised for its strong support and partnership with Mentor Foundation USA for developing and providing “scholarship programmes for the young people engaged in the Mentor Foundation’s programmes.”

SFIG Foundation recently announced that 11 seniors from three school districts in Washington, D.C., New York, and Pennsylvania have been awarded scholarships to assist them as they pursue a college education. “These students have expressed interest in a variety of fields including nursing, computer science, law, business, education, psychology and global marketing.”

Iceland's Ambassador Mr. Geir H. Haarde, as well as Swedish Deputy Chief of Mission and several diplomats, along with business leaders and friends of Luxembourg, attended this serious public health issue which recognises neither international boundaries nor walls.

During the event it was announced that Ms. Michaela Pratt, current Executive Vice President & COO, Mentor Foundation USA will take over the leadership as Ms. Girardo embarks on new and exciting projects. Chairman LaMont applauded Ms. Girardo’s exemplary leadership of Mentor Foundation USA for many years.

Ambassador Lucas, assisted by Ms. Elisabeth Herndler and the Embassy staff, treated the guests and supporters of Mentor Foundation USA to a sumptuous buffet featuring Luxembourg cuisine.

Photo by C. Naseer Ahmad