Off to Ethiopia I Go. Join the Movement. #ONEMoms

I just ingested my first Malaria pill in a series I’ll be taking until next week.  My suitcase is empty and I have a pile of clothes on my bedroom floor waiting to be washed.  I frustrate my husband because I have a habit of waiting till the last minute to pack for a trip, often times just hours before I leave.  But he’s also very aware that I’m capable of getting it done and if I forget to pack something, I’ll manage.

Tomorrow morning I fly out to Washington DC to meet my #ONEMom companions before we all fly out together to Ethiopia.  I have no doubt in my mind that this team I’m on of incredible women will bond quickly as we move from knowing each other from our respective sites to becoming good friends by the time this trip is over.

This trip.  I want to talk to you about this trip.

What is #ONEMoms and why am I going?

To understand #ONEMoms you first need to familiarize yourself with ONE.org and what they do.  Co-founded by Bono of the music band U2, ONE is a non-partisan, non-profit organization with the goal of encouraging national leaders to support international development and relief programs through advocacy.  The ONE Campaign’s primary objective is to help fight extreme global poverty and preventable diseases through advocacy outreach movements, encouraging people like you and me to take action – not with your pocketbook but with your voice.

Because ONE uses highly visible methods (largely internet-based) to promote its message, chances are good you have seen (and supported) some form of a ONE campaign in action.  If you’ve ever walked into a Starbucks store you are probably familiar with their partnership with Bono’s (RED) in action.  (RED) raises awareness in fighting AIDS/HIV.  Funds raised through (RED) are given to The Global Fund, which works closely with ONE.

#ONEMoms is a ONE campaign encouraging moms everywhere to collectively make our voices heard to make a global impact.  I was invited on this all-expenses paid trip to Ethiopia to see what ONE is doing on the field and to share with you the stories of the Ethiopian people, especially the women.

You can follow our journey through our own blogs and several social media platforms.

Our team:

Gabrielle Blair of DesignMom
Asha Dornfest of Parents Hacks (whom I shamelessly cut and pasted the links of all of our team members from.)
Rana DiOrio of Little Pickle Press
Cathleen Falsani of Sojourners
Liz Gumbinner of Mom 101, Cool Mom Picks and Cool Mom Tech
Jennifer Howze of BritMums
Christine Koh of Boston Mamas
Michelle Pannell of Mummy from the Heart
Diana Prichard of Righteous Bacon
Kelly Wickham of Mocha Momma
Maya Haile Samuelsson (our cultural guide, who also happens to be a super-model and married to one of my favorite chefs.)
Karen Walrond (official photographer)
Jeannine Harvey, Ginny Wolfe, and Lindsay Keller of The ONE Campaign

Our updates will appear on the ONEMoms web page.  Most everyone will be using the hashtag #ONEMoms on Twitter, #ONEMOMS on Instagram, ONE MOMS Facebook, and other social media channels.

I’m personally inviting you to join #ONEMoms through signing up below and also invite you to follow our journey throughout this next week. You can find my updates on Twitter and Instagram@SavorySweetLife.

I’m so excited to share this journey with you and look forward to posting pictures and videos of this life changing trip.