WASHINGTON (February 24, 2014) – Nearly 200 of The ONE Campaign’s most dedicated US volunteers are attending the annual ONE Power Summit in Washington, D.C. this week. On Saturday, the summit kicked off with a surprise appearance by ONE co-founder and U2 lead singer, Bono, who thanked the volunteers for their time and dedication to the fight against extreme global poverty. On Tuesday, the group will meet with legislators on Capitol Hill and lobby for continued support for American foreign assistance programs that are saving millions of lives around the world.

This year’s ONE Power Summit features 194 volunteers representing 43 states; so far, they’ve set up more than 220 meetings on Capitol Hill.

Tom Hart, US Executive Director of ONE, said:

“It’s inspiring to see so many Americans from different backgrounds coming together to rally on behalf of life-saving foreign assistance programs. Our volunteers represent left, right and center and are meeting with hundreds of their elected representatives from both sides of the political aisle.

At the top of this year’s lobbying agenda is The Electrify Africa Act, which, along with President Obama’s Power Africa plan, is primed to transform Africa by providing energy access to rural and urban areas of the continent for the first time.

Imagine being in a dark hospital without medical equipment, or cooking for your family over a dangerous and toxic exposed flame. For nearly 600 million people in sub-Saharan Africa, ‘energy poverty’ is a daily way of life. But solutions are out there and our members are here in Washington this week to fight for them. Basic energy access is a precondition for economic growth and poverty reduction.”