This week I’ve been actively following a group of amazing women who are part of the ONE Moms/ONE Mums delegation to Ethiopia. Today these women are flying home to the United States and the UK where they will continue to use their voice in sharing the stories and photographs of what they learned and saw during their week long journey in Ethiopia.

ONE is a non-partisian advocacy organization that is backed by over 3 million members who work with government leaders to support proven, cost-effective solutions that save lives and help build sustainable futures.  What I love most about ONE is that it is 100% volunteer lead by grassroots activists and does not ask for money but only your voice. ONE holds world leaders accountable for commitments they have made to fight extreme poverty by campaigning for better, more sustainable development policies and effective international aid.

Part of ONE’s advocacy is strengthened by the creation of ONE Moms, a group of powerful women bloggers, writers and other prominent advocates to help spread the word of ONE’s mission. These women have dedicated their time, energy, enthusiasm and passion for helping moms around the world have happier, healthier lives.

In order to get a full understanding of some of the issues people face around the world, ONE created a strategic advisory council made up of influential moms and advocates who would use their voice to connect with mothers in Africa and share their stories to inspire change. This lead to ONE Moms first delegation to Kenya in July where ONE Moms visited clinics, HIV testers and women farmers to hear their stories and share them with their American audience. The trip had miraculous results in which the ONE Moms were named by ABC World New as the “Persons of the Week” and ONE gained several thousand new members and supporters.

Building on the success of the Kenya trip, ONE organized another trip this week with a group of twelve influencial women from the US and UK – ranging from a brain scientist, a middle school principal, authors, lawyers and photographer to a supermodel.  Their trip included a visit to a sustainable women-owned business, a fistula hospital as well as visits with rural women, farmers and school children. The week was a tremendous success with stories being shared across the globe through a variety of platforms and dialogues being continued on what we can do to promote effective change.

I am honored to become a ONE Moms Community Partner. In this new role, I’ll work on the ground here from Minnesota using my voice through my blog and other social media outlets to advocate for ONE’s mission to end extreme poverty and help affect positive change. I’m looking forward to my next venture in giving back.

As a token of ONE’s appreciation to my commitment to help, I’ve received a lovely FashionABLE scarf made by one of ONE’s beneficiaries in Ethiopia.

FashionABLE is one example of how empowering women and giving them the tools they need to succeed can help create sustainable, positive impact on their lives. Most of the women employed at FashionABLE were once prostitutes. However, the opening of the FashionABLE Factory and creation of a sustainable business changed their lives forever and helps them live in dignity. It is a beautiful success story which is just one example of how groups like ONE work with community leaders to help empower women.

To read more about ONE Moms visit to FashionABLE  click here. To learn more about FashionABLE, click here and you are sure to be inspired.  You can also order your own FashionABLE scarf as well.

Each scarf is handmade with love and care…

Each scarf comes with a note…

FashionABLE is just one of many beautiful success stories that ONE Moms encountered in Ethiopia. There are many more and hopefully there will be many more to come.  In closing, I wanted to leave you with a few of my favorite photos and stories from the ONE Moms trip to Ethiopia. Please enjoy, spread the word and share. It is by using our voice that we can impact change and create a better world and future for all.

Two photos taken over the week that inspired me the most:

Photo caption: A girl from the Mary Joy organization in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Photo by Cathleen Falsani for Sojourners.

What Ethiopia looks like, through the viewfinder of Karen Walrond.

A few of my absolute favorite posts from the week of ONE Moms advocacy trip in Ethiopia:

• The Unbelievable Strength of Women
• What Mothers want for our children: Its all the same. Until its different. 
• Morning Call to Prayer
• Dispatches from Ethiopia
• Traveling to Ethiopia will change motherhood for me

• Pinterest One Mums lovely photos 

For more information on ONE or how you can also become a ONE member, please click here.