From Here to Uncertainty

Here's a little winter-itis escape.  Becky first wrote this for www.thevoiceofmom.com.   Check out this Mom-Rocker and her family adventures:

Have you ever wondered what it would feel like to quit your job, sell everything, put your finger on the globe and take off for a year seeing where the wind might carry you?   Throw a family of four in the mix with two school-age children and you have the Redpath family.

Bob and Brenna Redpath and their children Owen and Eleanor are seven months into their globetrotting adventure and have been documenting their journey on their most delightful blog, From Here to Uncertainty.

Bob is an Emmy-nominated sound guy who left Warner Bros. and turned down a season's worth of work for the trip. Brenna is a singer-songwriter who homeschools their kids. Owen is an 11-year-old card-carrying member of Green Peace and RPG fan. And, last but not least, Eleanor is a seven-year-old who loves to bake and create "special things." Together, this family is on a most extraordinary adventure. (Learn more about them on their About page.)



The easy to navigate blog shares their journey with the world. You can see where they've been, and learn what they are experiencing, thinking and planning ... One wintry day when my five-and-a-half-year-old was home sick we read through the entire blog and looked at all of photos; he was simultaneously educated and exquisitely entertained.

Whether you are a parent, teacher or just someone with wanderlust, check out this blog. It's an amazing story of bravery, travel and experience. And don't worry: your envy won't poison you . . . the Redpaths and their adventures are far too wonder-full to hate.
Photos courtesy of the Redpath family.

Climate Cycle . . . solar-warming Chicago- one school at a time.

Last night Anna and Becky along with their DADSthatROCK! went to a fundraising event for an organization called "Climate Cycle" in Chicago.   A great time was had by all!  (thanks for the invite!)

Congratulations to Joey Feinstein who had a vision and has seen it to fruition.  We wish you much success on this meaningful mission.

You must check their website out and learn more about the good work they are doing.  Here is a brief description from their website:

Climate Cycle is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that empowers youth to be leaders in the clean energy movement and the new green economy. We have installed solar panels on one local public school and have plans for five more solar installations in the coming year. Every solar system is accompanied by dynamic supportive curriculum to maximize hand-on learning. The selected schools share a vision of climate solutions and energy independence from the students, faculty, administration, and beyond.

Volunteers and community alliances are at the heart of our organization-- our partnerships include Motorola Foundation, the Chicago Public Schools, local schools, government, green businesses and individuals. Our inaugural bike-a-thon last May raised $67,000 and shows the impact we can have when working together for just one year.

Joey Feinstein founded Climate Cycle in 2008 out of a concern that youth didn't have the tools necessary to respond to global warming or benefit from the emerging green economy. Climate Cycle utilizes renewable energy because it is an available technology that provides tangible learning opportunities, while saving taxpayer money. Joey found that many share his passion and he now works with a dedicated team.

Here's information about the ride in May:

Climate Cycle's May 15th, 2010 Solar Schools Ride is a family and fan friendly fundraiser in which riders garner pledges in advance of the ride. Proceeds go to install solar energy systems in local public schools.

Cyclists select from a 4, 10, 20 or 62-mile course along picturesque Lake Michigan. All starting and end points are in downtown Chicago, with the exception of the 62-mile "metric century" course, which begins at the Indiana Dunes and ends in downtown Chicago.

A post ride celebration follows the ride. This festive event includes music, free lunches for all riders, sustainability showcases, goody bags, a raffle and kid friendly activities.

To register PLEASE CLICK HERE.

Hmmmm, maybe we should get a MOMSthatROCK! team together for this ride.  Drop us a line at momsthatrock@me.com if you are interested!

                                                               www.climatecycle.org

Thanks Kenosha and Sommelier Wine Shop

In the fall Anna hosted a wine-tasting at a great wine shop in Kenosha, WI called Sommelier.  It was a fun event with a nice turnout as well as a great opportunity for folks to learn more about MOMSthatROCK!  Special thanks to Anna's cousin, Leah Blough, for creating the wonderful MTHR! display at the event.  And a big thanks to all who came out and donated to our Change for Change campaign!

http://sommelierwineshop.com

Partying with a twist of Philanthropy-- Dig It

 
We had two great events last November that helped boost our Change for Change fund for the Arc Orphanage in Thika, Kenya.  


The first was a really special 50th birthday party that was hosted by Chicago restauranteur Kathie Romines and Chicago-based landscape designer Will Spiegelberg.  Together with their guests they raised over $350 at this small but lively party which featured Anna Fermin and Trigger Gospel as musical guests.  


THANK YOU, Kathy and Will, and to all your friends, for making meaningful activism so much fun!!!  

The next event was a concert by Anna Fermin's Trigger Gospel at SPACE in Evanston, IL.  Anna and her crew collected over $60 in the Change for Change canister on the merch table.  Way to go guys!

Please visit the websites of the fine folks and business owners who support MOMSthatROCK!

Will Spiegelberg, Landscape Design, www.landscapechicago.com

RPlace Eatery
21 Romines Drive
Morris, Illinois 60450
Phone: (815) 942-5690
Fax: (815) 942-4371
www.rplaceeatery.com
Email:  info@rplaceeatery.com

Talk to MOMSthatROCK! if you'd like to combine "THE 2 P's":

Philanthropy and Partying

Contact us at momsthatrock@me.com for more information

Hey Kenosha:

Come see Anna Fermin's solo acoustic performance at the Winter Market (indoor farmer's market) this Saturday, January 23rd from 9am - 12:30pm in the lobby of the Rhode's Lakeside Player Theater (514 56th St) in Kenosha, WI.  

And bring some Change for Change!

The Aftermath

This is this week's article Becky wrote for a website she contributes to- The Voice of Mom:

Today I’m having a difficult time writing a review or waxing lyrical about my latest ah-hah moment.

My mind keeps going to Haiti.

I’m an advocate for the global humanitarian organization CARE that has been around since the 1940’s and coined the term “care packages” providing aid in World War 2, press HERE for that history. CARE has been in Haiti since 1954 and most of the staff workers that live in Port-au-Prince lost their homes. So in the midst of being traumatized, themselves, they are lining up aide for those in need: read a first hand observation HERE.

Since I follow CARE on Face Book and get e-updates from them I, like most of you, have been inundated with the ongoing news. I have a friend that has gone to Haiti on mission trips 11 times and had been set to fly out to Port-au-Prince Saturday for another mission trip, but with the aftermath of the earthquake, ironically, the journey to provide aid has been delayed until January 25th..

There is a local organization, The Haitian Development Fund that has been doing some phenomenal work in Haiti for several years. I am so pleased to see that members of our community have such amazing global projects going on, but very sad that I had to learn about it under these circumstances.

So my message to you this week is to take a moment and send positive and healing energy to all the families in Haiti whose lives have been disrupted and may never be the same. As difficult as it is, take a moment to imagine what it would be like to have your family, friends, neighbors buried alive and wondering and hoping about their survival, and if they did not, praying that they did not anguish for hours and die an agonizing death.

My work with a project a musician mom-friend and I started MOMSthatROCK!, among other things, reaches out to a small orphanage of girls in Thika, Kenya where my daughter spent a month this past summer. There is a very strong commonality between them and the folks in Haiti: one dollar goes a very long way.

This is a time that giving even a very little will mean so much. Haiti will have years of rebuilding in their future– including buildings and emotions and families and lives. I implore you to find a reputable organization such as CARE that is known for not just throwing dollars at problems but developing culturally based programs that grow into self sustaining projects.

The last thing Haiti needs for the long haul is financial aid that comes in a burst to band-aid then disappears leaving a nation more dependent on outside help– and even more helpless.

Press HERE to learn more about CARE and make a donation.

No matter how large or small: just do it.

It will feel good knowing that you have done one of the only things you can do in the aftermath of such devastation– besides sending hope and positive energy and prayers.


And do that too.


(one way to know that you are not letting Haiti and it's future struggles be forgotten after the initial influx of interest and support would be to set up an affordable ongoing donation to CARE.  check their track record: CARE isn't going anywhere and they have a strong history of successful intervention)

Washington Post reporter on travel to Haiti with some CARE workers

Message from CARE about HAITI

photo: Reuters/Reuters TV, courtesy www.alertnet.org Dear becky, I'd like to share with you an update on Haiti from CARE workers on the ground. "Roads are blocked, and fuel will be hard to come by. Electricity is a real problem. Reports are that there is no water or food in Port-au-Prince. That will be CARE's first priority for the emergency response," says Hauke Hoops, CARE's regional emergency coordinator. The immediate needs for survivors of the Haiti earthquake include first-aid supplies, clean water, body bags and emergency food rations — and we need your help to rush lifesaving aid to Haiti now. Even a small gift can make a big difference. For example: $10 can provide 1,000 people with clean water for a day $35 can provide a high energy meal for a family of five Your donation of $10, $35 or more can help CARE deliver emergency aid as soon as possible. CARE has been working in Haiti since 1954, when we helped survivors recover from Hurricane Hazel. After the earthquake struck, CARE was among the first to respond. Remember, clean water and emergency food rations are urgently needed. Please give now to help CARE deliver emergency aid to the people of Haiti as soon as possible. Thank you for your compassion at this dire time. Sincerely, Helene D. Gayle, MD, MPH President and CEO, CARE

Our Post Holiday Wish for Your

When the song of the angels is stilled, 


When the star in the sky is gone,


When the kings and princes are home, 


When the shepherds are back with their flock, 


The work of Christmas begins: 


To find the lost, 


To heal the broken, 


To feed the hungry, 


To release the prisoner, 


To rebuild the nations, 


To bring peace among others, 


To make music in the heart.


-Howard Thurman

Giving with meaning . . . and it costs you nothing

Are you tired of the commercialism of the holiday season?  Want to make a meaningful difference in one of the world's poorest countries . . . without having to spend a cent or move from in front of your computer?


Join us at the Join My Village project and for no investment except a few minutes of your time, you can unlock $5/day to go to micro-financing projects for the poorest of the poor in Malawi.


Click HERE to see our original post about this project and view a great short video clip that explains more.


Check out our village, Zumani's, progress here at the link below. We've been steadily in first place bringing those funds in but our second place village is closing in on us.
Progress Overview

This is Zumani's village Mzati on this project-- 14 year old Agnes.  Help us show her we care.

Join us at Zumani today.  Please.  Go to Join My Village now.

Report Finds Girls' Schools in Afghanistan Face Highest Risk of Violence; Suggests Steps for Preventing Attacks

Report Finds Girls' Schools in Afghanistan Face Highest Risk of Violence; Suggests Steps for Preventing Attacks

Festive Social Action: Living Room Concerts

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to host a

private music concert in your very own home for all your

friends and family, and at the same time raise awareness

for a great cause?

MOMSthatROCK! is currently looking for people interested in hosting

house concerts for a cause. This season, make your holiday event even more

special with this one of a kind experience!

For more information please contact Anna Fermin or Becky Aud-Jennison

at momsthatrock@me.com

Shopping this weekend? Support CARE at the same time!

Click HERE to get your coupon.

Springfield, Illinois 350 International Climate Day's Activities

BIKE! : Biking into Clean Energy

On 10/24, the International Day of Climate Action, there were thousands public events throughout the world. Springfield held two of events: a faith focused program with activities for children at Jubilee Farm; and BIKE!350: Biking into Clean Energy, a bike ride and rally at the Old State Capitol. Around twenty bikers circled the downtown area to illustrate the joy of sharing a communal bike ride while emitting zero carbon gas. Afterwards, over fifty people gathered to hear rally speakers UIS Professor Stefano Longo emphasize the importance of social movements in making significant change in the world and the potential of the voice of the people in calling for strong environmental positions from their leaders; union activist Al Pieper relate the importance and power of green jobs; and Wes King address the reality of 350: the amount of carbon emissions in parts per million that is compatible with human life (currently that level is at an incompatible 389 ppm), and individual and community ways to get involved in reducing our carbon footprint.

Voices are still needed to apprise our leaders of the public urgency for more dramatic policies, including those that put a high price on carbon emissions while ensuring that poor countries have an opportunity for development.

You can still join with thousands calling on leaders for a clean energy future!

Call the U.S. Capitol Switchboard at (202)224-3 1 2 1
Ask for your Senators' and Representative's offices.
Tell them to represent you by contacting
President Obama & supporting policies
that will lower carbon emissions to 350 ppm or below

Call the President's comment hotline at 202-456-1 1 1 1
Say that you want him to represent you
at the December UN Climate Conference
in Copenhagen with proposals that
reduce carbon emissions below 350 ppm.

Here are Some Tips to take you to the next level in reducing your C02footprint…
To idle or not to idle: Ten seconds of idling can use more fuel than turning off the engine and restarting. Parking or in line for more than 30 seconds? Turn off the engine! www.consumerenergycenter.org/myths/idling.html

A room with a (warmer) view: Window films can cut energy costs up to 10%. See www.fsec.ucf.edu/en/consumer/buildings/homes/windows/films.htm

Decisions, decisions: Uninformed? Read The Consumer’s Guide to Effective Environmental Choices: Practical Advice - Union of Concerned Scientists, Brower & Leon (copy soon to be available at Lincoln Library)

Hold the C02: Contact the CWLP Energy Services Office for info on local carbon credit purchasing: www.cwlp.com or 789-2070; and for general info on carbon offsets: http://www.co2offsetresearch.org/ consumer/index.html

Thanks to Diane Lopez-Hughes for the 350 update and photos. Way to ROCK it Springfield!

Should you CARE about climate issues?

Climate change is not only about melting ice caps and polar bears. Climate change is about people.

Swinging weather patterns are creating disasters on a scale that human civilization has never before witnessed. For the world’s poorest people – the ones least equipped to deal with its effects – climate change is devastating their crops, livelihoods and communities.

"Climate change is worsening the plight of those hundreds of millions of men, women and children who already live in extreme poverty – and it threatens to push hundreds of millions more people into similar destitution," says CARE International’s Secretary General Robert Glasser. "A concerted international response to this unprecedented challenge is required if we are to avoid catastrophic human suffering."

CARE is working toward a world where poor people can create opportunity out of crises like climate change. But the current reality is that climate change makes poor people even more vulnerable.

For instance, agricultural production will likely decline in the poorest countries, especially in sub-Saharan Africa. Less reliable rainfall will likely affect planting seasons, crop growth and livestock health – and lead to increased malnutrition. In other parts of the developing world, flooding will likely further diminish the quality of already-marginal soil and could cause outbreaks of water-borne diseases such as cholera and dysentery.
Climate change also is hurling many poor families into “Catch-22” situations. For example, they may select crops that are less sensitive to rainfall variation, but also less profitable. As incomes decline and people are not able to eke out a living, children are forced to leave school, assets are sold off to afford essentials, malnutrition rates increase and large-scale migration ensues. The end result? Deepening poverty for tens of millions of people around the world.

What Must Be Done?

At the international level, negotiations to develop a new treaty to guide global efforts to address climate change will take place in Copenhagen, Denmark in just a couple weeks. The United States must help lead those efforts, and forge a strong agreement that caps emissions, stops global warming and responds to the effects already in motion. We must do this for the sake of all of humanity.

What can I do to help?

First, you can make a tax-deductible donation to CARE to help poor families access the tools and education they need to adapt to the effects of climate change, make efficient use of their existing resources and overcome poverty for good.
Second, if you live in the Unites States, you can write your senators and urge them to pass the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009, a critical step toward U.S. leadership in tackling climate change. U.S. leadership is critical to making the Copenhagen negotiations a success.

Third, you can join the CARE mailing list to be kept up to date on CARE’s activities and other ways you can take action in the days counting down to Copenhagen.
To donate, take action and join our e-mail list, please visit www.care.org/climate


Thanks to CARE for guest blogging for MOMSthatROCK! today. We'd like to remind you that if you have any doubt about CARE's track record about them putting money where the issues is-- check their Better Business Bureau rating which is linked on their website. Their track record speaks for itself.

Today's entry is part of Blog Action Day '09: www.blogactionday.org

Blog Action Day 2009

Join bloggers around the world to speak out tomorrow about urging action on climate change in preparation for the Copenhagen meetings.

It's painless. It's free. Come on Bloggers. Speak your minds.

Where will you be on October 24th?

Get with it.

Join the rest of the world on October 24th to take a stand.

See post below for what we're doing in Springfield.

Go to www.350.org to see what other cities are doing . . . around the world.

Springfield: let's live up to our "green" reputation on October 24

BIKE! 350 - Biking into Clean Energy

A ride around Springfield's downtown to advocate for individual and community solutions to address global climate change by bringing carbon emissions down to 350 parts per million: a level that is considered by scientists to be compatible with human life on Earth.*

11:00 am to Noon, Saturday, 10/24/09

11:00 - 11:30 Ride around and through downtown Springfield - With 350 photo op

11:30 Rally at Old State Capitol Mall South

This Springfield, IL action is being held in solidarity with www.350.org and

the International Day of Climate Action, with over 111 countries and 1427 individual actions across the planet

Sponsoring organizations in formation: Avrom Systems; Illinois Native Plant Society, MomsthatRock! (www.momsthatrock.com) Pax Christi Springfield (www.paxchristispfld.org) ; Sangamon Valley Group Sierra Club (www.illinois.sierraclub.org/sangamon); SCORCH, St. Joseph Parish Environmental Justice Committee;

Sustainable Springfield Inc (www.sustainablespringfield.org)

For more information, contact Diane at 217 544-3997, dianelopezhughes@gmail.com

*Currently at 385 parts per million, which renders human life unsustainable over the long haul.

The Fight Against Terrorism

What is the most effective way to fight terrorism?

Empower girls and women in marginalized countries.

Historically, the countries that oppress, abuse and dehumanize girls and women are the countries that home-grow and harbor terrorists.

So . . .

Not only can we improve the global economy (which includes your economy and my economy) by empowering women and girls in marginalized countries we can FIGHT terrorism.

For an amazing read and quick understanding of this issue read the recently released book that the Huffington Post has just declared "The Most Important Book of the Year."

To go to the website for Half the Sky and the movement it spawned click HERE.

For a glimpse of how issues go viral when Oprah gets a hold of them click HERE. (She had the authors, Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl Wudunn on her show last week devoted to these issues)

To visit CARE, the leading humanitarian organization that has been leading this exact movement and has been around since WWII and find out about the amazing work they do and how you can help go HERE .

To take 3 minutes to do something NOW that will have a great economic and quality of life impact on marginalized women in Malawi and costs NOTHING click HERE .

Join Becky's village, Zumani, and you can unlock $3/day by answering quiz questions and inviting others to join. It is simple. It is effective. It can be done NOW.

Women Changing the World, One Village at a Time. Join Us.

Here is a bit more about the Join My Village project and OUR village Zumani. Check it out!!!

OVERVIEW. Join My Village channels the power of online communities to help real communities in Malawi ignite hope, inspire action, and create lasting change. General Mills is ready to donate up to $500,000 to empower women and girls through CARE’s work – and your actions and donations will make it happen. $200,000 is already working hard in approximately 75 villages in the Kasungu region of Malawi. The remaining $300,000 is waiting to be unlocked by you!

By taking part in a variety of simple online activities, you can help ensure that the full investment is made. Joining a village team, answering a quiz question, and inviting friends to be part of Join My Village are all ways that you can unlock General Mills donation dollars, up to a total of $15,000 per village team (or $150,000 across all ten village teams). You can also make a direct donation and double your impact because General Mills will match personal donations, dollar-for-dollar, up to another $15,000 per village team (or $150,000 in total). Match ceiling of $50 per donor.

All funds raised go straight to Malawi to support CARE’s proven approaches to fighting poverty, including the establishment of village savings and loan associations (VSLAs) and increasing access to education for girls.

Join My Village features 10 different Malawi villages on its web site. Basic facts, from population to key challenges and goals, are displayed to provide a snapshot of what life is like in each village. You have the opportunity to align with one of the featured Malawi villages and track its progress by joining a village team.

Each village team has a Contribution Goal of $30,000. Of that, up to $15,000 may be “unlocked” by engaging in simple online activities, such as:

• Answering a quiz question $1
• Joining a village team $1
• Inviting friends to join $1

Up to $3 per person, per day can be unlocked, and you can return each day to unlock more dollars until your village team’s Contribution Goal is reached.

The remaining $15,000 available to each village team takes the form of matching donations. General Mills will double the impact of your personal donation through a dollar-for-dollar match, up to $15,000 per village team ($150,000 in total). Donations must be at least $10 and are processed via credit card at CARE.org (a secure site). Match ceiling of $50 per donor.

Zumani

VILLAGE MZATI: Agnes Ntenje

“I want to be highly educated. So that I'll become a teacher or the president of this country.”

The leap from teacher to president seems a small one in the world of Agnes, who is still in awe of “Madam teacher,” who taught her last year.

“We were listening to whatever she was saying. She was inspiring me. She is the one who made me want to be a teacher.”

The daughter of Zumani's charismatic headman, Agnes Ntenje could be something of a local princess. But the quiet, gangly girl with a mischievous twinkle in her eye has the same heavy load of chores as most girls in town: she sweeps the family compound, helps bathe her younger brothers, cooks, carries water from the well several miles away and helps in the fields. And Agnes and her little sister walk an hour and a half to school every day, just like other kids in Zumani.

It is Agnes' super-sized ambitions that really set her apart. And her persistence.

Agnes has repeated just about every grade. Some twice. At 14, she is still in fourth grade.

“She is too playful!” shouts her little sister, Angelina.

“I play on the days when there is no teacher,” Agnes murmurs, looking down at her hands.

There are three teachers to teach the 590 students in grades one through seven of Agnes' and Angelina's primary school. They simply don't have time to teach everything in the curriculum. More often than not, come exam time, Agnes fails. She dreads this. “It is painful because they give us what we did not learn.”

Asked how it would be if more female teachers came to teach in Zumani with the support of Join My Village, Agnes thinks for a moment about how she ought to put it.

“We will be better children. We will be admired. It can be a beautiful school... and we would be the happiest students.”

ABOUT ZUMANI

“In the past the government had built a fence to keep people from hunting animals in the forest but, in Zumani, they felt this was a prohibition and they kept hunting.” – David Ntenje, group village headman, Zumani

Some 60 kilometers along the dusty track that leads from the nearest paved road, the vista of yellow-dry rolling fields suddenly closes in and turns green. Gnarled acacia throng the road. You have finally arrived in Zumani.

In the aftermath of a drought-driven famine that killed thousands of Malawians in 2002, while other agricultural communities relied on luck, prayer and aid to avert further disaster, the people of Zumani took matters into their own hands. Three acres out of each villager's eight acre plot would be planted with trees to nourish Zumani's soil and counteract destruction of Malawi's forests.

“We wanted our children to know the natural forest,” says David. “The children who are born here will find these trees and call them by their names.”

It wasn't always like this. In the 1980s and '90s, elephants from a nearby national park trampled crops and poked their trunks through thatched roofs to devour the year's harvest. People struck back, poaching animals and stealing trees for kindling.

Since the famine all of that has changed. A sturdy new fence surrounds the area. People keep bees in the trees outside the park.

Now, in spite of its distance from paved roads and trading centers, Zumani is a coveted place to live. Many here share the feelings of Mercy Chifundo, a farmer who has shifted several times across hundreds of miles in search of a good place to raise her two boys. As secretary of the School Management Committee, Mercy has helped mold bricks and carry water and sand for the construction of a new school block.

Mercy for one, wants to spend the rest of her life in Zumani.

“I like this place very much,” Mercy said. “This is the place where I will die.”

Join My Village Video

I am honored to be the Village Leader of Zumani for this project. Please help me and my 14 year old Village Mzata, Agnes, and join team Zumani.

I implore you to spread the word to your friends and also ask them to join our team.

Click right HERE right now to join; it's effortless and costs you nothing but 5 minutes of your time.

"Women are changing the world, village by village. Join Us.”

Join My Village Press Release

Becky is honored to have been chosen to be one of the 10 Village Leaders for this innovative project, that was announced at the Clinton Global Initiative today.

Please join the village Zumani and please help spread the word to your friends. This innovative plan requires you to only give a minute of your time to affect some very positive change. Below is the press release. You can click HERE to see the press release it in original form with graphics.

Please press HERE to Join me at Village Zumani NOW!

Innovative Online Community Launched at Clinton Global Initiative Will Fight Poverty in Africa

Join My Village (www.JoinMyVillage.com) -- a partnership between General Mills and the humanitarian organization CARE -- is an innovative, online community that enables Americans to release up to $500,000* to increase economic and educational opportunities for women and girls in approximately 75 villages in Malawi, one of the poorest countries in Africa.
We believe women and girls everywhere are a powerful force for change
We're hopeful that through our partnership with CARE, this initiative will demonstrate how small actions can make a real difference for women, families and communities in Malawi.
Nearly four decades of global microfinance experience have shown us that when poor people - primarily women - have access to basic financial services, they can change their lives and build stronger communities. When women make an income, they typically spend it improving the education, nutrition and health of their families.
Join My Village builds on the strengths of these initiatives and will help us do even more to nourish lives in these communities

Minneapolis, MN (PRWEB) September 23, 2009 -- Today, at the Clinton Global Initiative Fifth Annual Meeting, President Clinton introduced a unique commitment between General Mills and CARE called 'Join My Village,' an innovative online community that is fighting poverty in Malawi through the empowerment of women and girls.
Naomi Chibwe, 39, is the Mzati (m-ZAH-tee) for the village Kaisi. Visitors to Join My Village can join Naomi's village, or select from nine others, and track their progress. These women are setting out on a path of change and they are hoping you will follow them on their journey.
Naomi Chibwe, 39, is the Mzati (m-ZAH-tee) for the village Kaisi. Visitors to Join My Village can join Naomi's village, or select from nine others, and track their progress. These women are setting out on a path of change and they are hoping you will follow them on their journey.

General Mills is ready to donate up to $500,000* to increase economic and educational opportunities for women and girls in approximately 75 villages in Malawi, one of the poorest countries in Africa. Through simple and fun online activities - answering a quiz question, telling a friend about Join My Village, or joining a village team - $1 will be unlocked by General Mills and will go to CARE's poverty fighting programs in the Malawi villages (limit of 3 activities per person per day, and unlocking up to $15,000 per online village team or $150,000 in total). Additionally, General Mills will match personal contributions dollar-for-dollar for up to $50 per donor, $15,000 per village or $150,000 in total.

"We believe women and girls everywhere are a powerful force for change," said Chris Shea, senior vice president of External Relations and president of the General Mills Foundation. "We're hopeful that through our partnership with CARE, this initiative will demonstrate how small actions can make a real difference for women, families and communities in Malawi."

Visitors to Join My Village will be invited to join one of ten villages on the site that represent the approximately 75 villages in Malawi supported through Join My Village. Village team members will get to know the women and families in Malawi through frequent updates, photos and stories. They also can track how dollars are creating change and improving lives in Malawi.

CARE will distribute all funds raised directly to Malawi to provide economic opportunities for women and increase access to quality education for girls. Join My Village is setting out to drive measurable and long-term positive impact with women and families in Africa by tapping into the inherent power of women to connect with, and provide strength for, other women.

According to Dr. Helene Gayle, President and CEO of CARE, "Nearly four decades of global microfinance experience have shown us that when poor people - primarily women - have access to basic financial services, they can change their lives and build stronger communities. When women make an income, they typically spend it improving the education, nutrition and health of their families."

Join My Village has its roots in General Mills' One Million Meals for Malawi initiative that began in 2007. That effort to export meals to school children in Malawi, one of the world's poorest countries, quickly evolved into much more.

In 2008, the General Mills Foundation allocated $3 million to the African Women and Children's Hunger project in Malawi and Tanzania to fund a variety of economic development initiatives. Then, the company's technical community began volunteering its skills to lend a hand. And this year, General Mills formed a partnership with COMACO, a Zambia-based food company whose mission is to curb the illegal poaching of animals and destruction of forests by creating an alternative way for people to earn a living. "Join My Village builds on the strengths of these initiatives and will help us do even more to nourish lives in these communities," said Shea.

Listen to what Ken Powell, CEO of General Mills has to say about Join My Village.

To learn more about Join My Village, log onto www.JoinMyVillage.com and help unlock funds to empower women and girls in Malawi.

(*$500,000 maximum donation, $200,000 minimum donation)

About General Mills

One of the world's leading food companies, General Mills operates in more than 100 countries and markets more than 100 consumer brands, including Cheerios, Häagen-Dazs, Nature Valley, Betty Crocker, Pillsbury, Green Giant, Old El Paso, Progresso, Cascadian Farm, Muir Glen, and more. Headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S.A., General Mills had fiscal 2009 global net sales of US$15.9 billion, including the company's $1.2 billion proportionate share of joint venture net sales.

About CARE

Founded in 1945, CARE is a leading humanitarian organization fighting global poverty. Working side by side with poor people in more than 65 countries, CARE helps empower communities to address the greatest threats to their survival. Women are at the heart of CARE's efforts to improve health, education and economic development because experience shows that a woman's achievements yield dramatic benefits for her entire family. CARE is also committed to providing lifesaving assistance during times of crisis, and helping rebuild safer, stronger communities afterward. We advocate for policies that defend the dignity of all people and promote the eradication of poverty.

MOMSthatROCK! News

Click on the newsletter to enlarge . . .

Thank You Michael Franti-- for everything you do!

What a great night.

Earlier in the week we got a call from CARE-Chicago folks inviting us to a reception with Michael Franti before his performance at Ravinia and to his concert (which happened to have G. Love and Special Sauce and Joseph Israel sidelining).

This was a good news/bad news scenario. Anna was on the road in Seattle so she couldn't attend, but we had some teenage boys that were more than willing to stand in and sacrifice themselves by taking the tickets.

I cannot even express what a wonderful human Michael Franti is in the way he gives himself to individuals, causes and his audience. Michael serves as a CARE Ambassador and an excellent one at that.

Michael is reaching a massive multigenerational audience that listens to his message and sends thunderous applause in response to his appeals for world peace, spreading the love and the empowerment of girls and women in marginalized countries.

This trip was such an educational and, I believe, life-altering experience for our boys. We had Luke who is a musician heading off to college in Chicago next week and not positive about the direction his life will take but loves music, art and social justice and has currently claimed marketing as his major.

Then there is Keegan, our fifteen year old that is hanging in that cusp where it feels like ions until your adult life will start and prime time to see the example of how an adult can follow his art and passion while making a positive impact on the world's brothers and sisters. And our twelve year old birthday boy who is glowing from the entire experience.

Michael took an individual interest in each of our children and then took them down to the stage sans parents and even had Luke play his guitar. The band also popped in and kindly interacted with the group.

It was a rainy night and it wasn't looking like there would be a big crowd. By the time Michael and Spearhead got on stage the place was absolutely packed, inside and out, and this man who was fighting for his life a mere 4 weeks ago, having walked around with a ruptured appendix for a week, kept the audience dancing and jumping and waving and clapping and dropping their jaws at his moon walk. It was clear that a shining star was in the house, albeit a humble one that would rather highlight the audience--pulling them on stage, or talk about his band members or social causes than shine the spotlight on himself.

And then I realized as I watched Michael's hand pumping in rhythm towards the sky-- bless his heart, he was wearing the MOMSthatROCK! All. Ways. Peace. bracelet I had given him at our meeting. Sweet.

yep, there's the bracelet. All. Ways. Peace. Michael!

This is a man that once decided to buy a plane ticket to Iraq, guitar in hand, and play music on the streets so he could get a feel for the people as just that: People.

This is a man who hasn't worn shoes for 9 years after an experiment to see what it would be like if he, like many others around the world, didn't have access to shoes. Nine years later he continues to walk in solidarity with the world's neediest and actively advocates for justice and a healthier planet for our children, all the while, barefoot.

Follow Michael. He's doing amazing things.

Check out Power to the Peaceful-- a peace-loving music festival produced by Michael in September that you don't want to miss if at all possible. We need one in every state, every month.

Check out his website.

Follow him on FaceBook.

Follow him on MySpace.

Follow him on Twitter.

LISTEN to him. (he has a song skyrocketing on the top 40: Say Hey! try not to be happy while you listen- impossible)

THANK him for making a difference to so many lives throughout the world.

Passing out CARE literature before the meeting with Michael

CARE-Chicago staffers: Bonnie Welch and Kathy Lane

MTHR! Becky and son, Luke (re)connecting with Michael

the MTHR! bracelet giving ceremony : )

Michael sharing information with the group

Michael- across the table from CARE advocate and Becky's husband and boys

our birthday boy

Luke, a huge Michael Franti fan

Michael went along with shouting out to the member of our family that turned everyone on to Michael Franti but is already off at college

this was an extremely multi-generational crowd and Michael had EVERYONE in the house rockin!

Joseph Israel

G. Love and Special Sauce