by Elizabeth Atalay | Aug 13, 2013 | 2013, Millennium Development Goals, ONE, Social Good, Third Eye Mom, Uncategorized, World Voice
As you know we are a global group of mothers, and we care so much for the children of our world and their future. Our children will inherit what we leave behind, so after participating in the United Nations Momentum 1,000 event to mark 1,000 days until the Millennium Development Goal deadline, we decided that we did not want to stop there.
Last month World Moms blog launched an 8 month Millennium Development Goal campaign to continue to raise awareness around each of the 8 Millennium Development Goals known as the MDG’s.
In 2000, 189 nations made a promise to free people from extreme poverty and multiple deprivations. This pledge turned into the eight Millennium Development Goals, and was written as the Millennium Goal Declaration .- United Nations Development Programme
World Moms Blog kicked off the campaign with a twitter party last month that had the voices of change agents chiming in from all over the globe.
Today we spotlight MDG 1 with World Mom Blog editor and contributor Nicole Melancon on ONE.org . You can then join us in the discussion on MDG 1 at our Twitter party tomorrow night at #Moms4MDGs.
MDG 1 is to “Eradicate Extreme Poverty and Hunger” which is why we so fittingly partnered to share this message with ONE.org, who invites us all to “Join The Fight Against Extreme Poverty”.
The good news about MDG 1 is that the goal has already been met by halving extreme poverty since 1990. The bad news is that according to the most recent MDG Progress report there are still over a billion people in the world living on less than 1.25 dollars a day.
According to the World Bank “The international line of $1.25 a day is the average of the national poverty lines in the poorest 10-20 countries.the average”. Which means there is still a great deal of work to be done.
The second component of MDG 1 is to eradicate Hunger; and according to that same United Nations report 1 in 8 children still go to bed hungry every night; and 1 in 4 of those children facing malnutrition will be stunted in their growth and potential. Our goal with this campaign is to continue to raise awareness and use our collective voices as the mothers of the world to inspire change. Join us at the twitter party tomorrow night, check out Nicole’s blog post today on ONE.org, and help us keep the momentum going to reach the goals.
Join us on twitter tomorrow and head on over to read World Mom, Nicole Melancon’s, post at One.org! (The link to ONE is now live!)
This is an original post to World Moms Blog by World Voice Editor, Elizabeth Atalay of “Documama.”
Photo credits to the author.
Elizabeth Atalay is a Digital Media Producer, Managing Editor at World Moms Network, and a Social Media Manager. She was a 2015 United Nations Foundation Social Good Fellow, and traveled to Ethiopia as an International Reporting Project New Media Fellow to report on newborn health in 2014. On her personal blog, Documama.org, she uses digital media as a new medium for her background as a documentarian. After having worked on Feature Films and Television series for FOX, NBC, MGM, Columbia Pictures, Warner Brothers, 20th Century Fox, and Castle Rock Pictures, she studied documentary filmmaking and anthropology earning a Masters degree in Media Studies from The New School in New York. Since becoming a Digital Media Producer she has worked on social media campaigns for non-profits such as Save The Children, WaterAid, ONE.org, UNICEF, United Nations Foundation, Edesia, World Pulse, American Heart Association, and The Gates Foundation. Her writing has also been featured on ONE.org, Johnson & Johnson’s BabyCenter.com, EnoughProject.org, GaviAlliance.org, and Worldmomsnetwork.com. Elizabeth has traveled to 70 countries around the world, most recently to Haiti with Artisan Business Network to visit artisans in partnership with Macy’s Heart of Haiti line, which provides sustainable income to Haitian artisans. Elizabeth lives in New England with her husband and four children.
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by Jennifer Burden | Jul 30, 2013 | 2013, Social Good, World Voice
World Moms Blog Speaks Out…
…Millennium Development Goals
We announced our new campaign at BlogHer Chicago at the BlogHer International Activists Panel! Join us for our monthly twitter parties with hashtag #Moms4MDGs to keep the conversation flowing about the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)! Back in April our Senior Editor, Purnima Ramakrishnan asked, “What if we keep writing about the MDGs?”, just after two rounds of twitter parties that we hosted for the Momentum 1000 campaign last April. The campaign made a lot of noise for good, while reminding the world there were only 1000 days left until the 2015 deadlines for the UN’s Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Purnima’s question led to more brainstorming, and here’s what we we launched in July: 
An Exciting All Volunteer, 8 Month
MDG Awareness & Action Campaign!
World Moms Blog is organizing a global “walk around” the MDG’s called “World Moms Blog Speaks Out…Millennium Development Goals.” What is that?
Well, every month, for 8 months (1 per the 8 MDGs), one of our World Moms will answer the question, “Why is (the month’s MDG) important to me as a mother?”
Her post will be hosted by an organization’s web site that is working relentlessly, year-round toward that particular MDG. For example, our first post ran on August 13th on the ONE Campaign’s site by our editor, Nicole Melancon, for MDG 1, to eradicate extreme poverty.
How Can You Help Save the World?
This project brings awareness to the MDGs and showcases an organization working toward an MDG goal per month. By sharing the post of the month, writing your own post about the campaign, joining the monthly twitter parties or carrying out each month’s action items when possible, together, we can make a difference!
And when the World Moms get together to chat…it’s always fun!
The next twitter party will take place on Wednesday, March 19th from 1-2pm EST on MDG, forming global partnerships for development! The hashtag is #Moms4MDGs, and we encourage all moms around the world to join in the discussion! We are lucky, again, to go out with a bang with cohosts, Girls Globe and Multicultural Kid Blogs!
Haven’t been to a twitter party? You can do something as simple as tweet what the MDG of the month is, ask questions, share ideas and meet other people interested in the same global issues. What a great reason to join and to socialize with our World Moms! How to come to the party: You can search for the hashtag (#Moms4MDGs) to join in on twitter from your phone, or if you’re at your computer, go to www.tweetchat.com and enter the #Moms4MDGs hashtag to follow and participate in the thread! Don’t forget to use the hashtag #Moms4MDGs. (We are not being paid by any organization to work on this campaign. This service is part of our mission statement stated at the bottom of our site.)
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS:
IT WAS A BLAST! –> JULY 2013: Join our #Moms4MDGs twitter party on July 31, 2013 at 9pm EST until 10pm EST. Say hello to the World Moms and learn about or see how well you know the MDGs!
1) WE KICKED OFF MDG1! –> AUGUST 2013: MDG1, To Eradicate Extreme Poverty at ONE.org with World Mom, Nicole Melancon of thirdeyemom to post on August 13th, plus a twitter party on Wednesday, August 14th 9-10pm EST! —>
2) 57 MILLION CHILDREN WITH NO ACCESS TO PRIMARY EDUCATION –>:SEPTEMBER 2013: MDG2, Achieve Universal Primary Education with World Mom, Martine deLuna at Save the Children.
3) OCTOBER 2013: MDG3, Promote Gender Equality and Empower Women. Girl Up and Plan International in the USA stepped in to cohost our Twitter Parties! This month’s post was by World Mom, Mama B, in Saudia Arabia on her volunteerism with Al-Nahda.
4) NOVEMBER 2013, MDG4: Reduce Child Mortality: We’re at the UN Foundation’s Shot@Life Campaign with World Mom, Purnima Ramakrishnan in India! We kicked off 2 twitter parties on World Pneumonia Day for child survival!
5) Improve Maternal Health: World Mom Dee Harlow in Laos Speaks Maternal Health at Every Mother Counts!
#Moms4MDGs Twitter Parties December 18th at 1-2pm EST and 9-10pm EST
6) Combat HIV/AIDS, Malaria and Other Diseases. Meet us at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation with World Mom Erin Threlfall!
#Moms4MDGs Twitter Parties January 15th at 1-2pm EST and 9-10pm EST
7) FEBRUARY 2014, MDG7: Ensure Environmental Sustainability. Meet us in Brazil as Esquel Foundation with World Mom, EcoZiva!
NEXT UP!! — > JOIN US FOR THE GRAND FINALE MDG8 TWITTER PARTY! –>
8) MARCH 2014, MDG8: Global Partnership for Development. The Last MDG with World Mom Elizabeth Atalay on the GAVI Alliance Blog!
Mark your Calendars for THE GRAND FINALE!: #Moms4MDGs Twitter Parties March 19th at 1-2pm EST with our cohosts Girls Globe & Multicultural Kid Blogs!
Jennifer Burden is the Founder and CEO of World Moms Network, an award winning website on global motherhood, culture, human rights and social good. World Moms Network writes from over 30 countries, has over 70 contributors and was listed by Forbes as one of the “Best 100 Websites for Women”, named a “must read” by The New York Times, and was recommended by The Times of India.
She was also invited to Uganda to view UNICEF’s family health programs with Shot@Life and was previously named a “Global Influencer Fellow” and “Social Media Fellow” by the UN Foundation. Jennifer was invited to the White House twice, including as a nominated "Changemaker" for the State of the World Women Summit. She also participated in the One Campaign’s first AYA Summit on the topic of women and girl empowerment and organized and spoke on an international panel at the World Bank in Washington, DC on the importance of a universal education for all girls. Her writing has been featured by Baby Center, Huffington Post, ONE.org, the UN Foundation’s Shot@Life, and The Gates Foundation’s “Impatient Optimists.” She is currently a candidate in Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs in the Executive Masters of Public Affairs program, where she hopes to further her study of global policies affecting women and girls.
Jennifer can be found on Twitter @JenniferBurden.
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by Purnima Ramakrishnan | Jul 23, 2013 | Casting a Wider Net, Economy, Education, Feminism, Government, Human Rights, Humanity, India, Inspirational, International, Motherhood, Nature, Purnima, Social Good, The Alchemist, United Nations, Women's Rights, World Moms Blog, World Voice
A couple of weeks ago, we featured a remote village, Piplantri (Western India) on the Gates Foundation. Piplantri is a model village, whose actions of change have been very well received all over India.
Aloe Vera products from the small scale industries
They plant 111 trees for every girl child who is born, create a fixed deposit of INR 31,000 (approx. USD 620) in her name which attains maturity when she is 18 years old and chalk up a legal agreement between the parents of the girl child and the government that they won’t get their girls married off before she is 18 years old. They also have Aloe Vera industries in which the women of the village are employed. So they have achieved MDGs #3 (promote gender equality and empower women), #4 (reduce child mortality), and #7 (ensure environmental sustainability) at one go. Today on the blog, I would like to introduce Mr. Shyam Sundar Paliwal and his wife, Anita, who were the pioneers of this change action in their village. Anita is 42 years old, and she got married after she finished her 12th grade. It was an arranged marriage and the couple were happy.
Their first daughter Kiran was 18 years old when she passed away. She died due to dehydration. That was the turning point in their life, and they vowed to make lives of others happy.
They also have another daughter Hemanshi (22) and a son Rahul (15) who is in 10th grade. Hemanshi is married and has a child, too.
The women of the village tending Aloe Vera
Anita recalls that when she came to her in-laws place after she got married, the first lesson she received from her father-in-law was to plant banana saplings such that they bear fruits during the rainy season and then plant mango saplings around the banana trees. Banana trees absorb water during the monsoon and transfers this water to the mango trees through its roots during the arid summer season. She says she has stuck to this piece of advice to date in her village and ensured that her villagers follow such age-old farming wisdom.
Anita, who is the wife of the ex-sarpanch (ruling political head) of the village, Piplantri, is a very active community member. She is a Zila Parishad Member (Elected person of the district council). Her husband has always been supportive of her as a woman and wants her to do her best for her villagers. He has never restricted her in any way. Though she is more educated than him, he has never been jealous of her, but has only encouraged her and furthered her growth and development as an active member of their society and community. She says, if only all women of the world gets a husband like Shyam, the women of the world will be better off and we would not be speaking of women’s rights here.
Shyam Sundar won the panchayat elections in 2005 and he says he first wanted the people who worked in the government offices to be comfortable. He installed the first AC in the office, brought in some comfortable furniture and ensured that people in all echelons of the society were treated equally. (In rural India, at times, the upper caste people are given more respect and sit on chairs, whereas the lower caste people are treated shabbily and sit down on the floor. Read more about the Evils of Caste system in India here). He said, he worked on the psychology of the ruling body to make them happy and comfortable. He says, only if they are happy, they would start working on reform measures and help provide for the remaining villagers. He, at his own expense, made the offices a comfortable place to work and conducive to provide better results.
He started small. In this difficult water shortage era, he diverted the waste water from all houses/offices towards the fields. Better water conservation was ensured. If waste water does not stagnate anywhere, there would be no mosquitoes and no dengue and fewer diseases. So, he solved primarily problems with simple, cost-effective solutions.
He installed drinking RO water systems in schools. Brought in furniture for the students and made the public schools better than the expensive private schools. People started flocking towards government schools. He raised awareness slowly and in a small way, which evolved out.
Mrs. Anita Paliwal working on the Water Harvesting Structure
He started rain water harvesting with the help of government. He built canals. He used the women of the village who were unemployed. To the left is a picture of Anita, who at times does not hesitate to get into the fields with a mean sickle. She and her husband were instrumental in starting the water harvesting structure of the village. In most of his welfare activities 90% of the employed are women and 10% alone are men. Women of the village have been blessed indeed to have him there, says Anita. In addition to 25,00,000 Aloe Vera plants, there are 10,000 rose shrubs which are also used in small-scale industries for toiletries and medicinal supplements. Women are employed in all of these schemes.
Mr. Shyan Sundar Paliwal and Mrs. Anita Paliwal with Anna Hazare
He started the Kiran Nidhi Yojna with the 76-year-old International Social Activist, Anna Hazare to ensure that no girl child is married off before 18 years old. This man who himself did not study in a college, ensures that all girl children in his village get a college degree. He also nudges the parents to get their girls married off in collective wedding, so that money is conserved and better utilised for other public welfare schemes or for their own savings. This scheme also granted government land to the parents in return for planting 111 trees on the birth of their daughter in that land, and tending to it to fruition before their girl child is 18 years old. On the death of any community member, the family is requested to plant trees again.
He says this again works on their psychology. The girl children treat the trees as their own brothers and sisters. After all, the saplings were planted on the day of their birth. And the parents get emotionally attached to the trees which came into existence on the day their family member was born or died. They then take care of it as a family member, and would under no means cut it down. He says, it is all in the hearts of the people. If people get involved with their hearts, anything is possible. He made people to get emotionally attached to nature and trees and the earth.
I learnt something new from Anita and Shyam that day – Ecofeminism. It is such a beautiful concept. Women and nature have been connected since time immemorial and this couple have harnessed it.
After all, he who was not highly educated could work on such things and make that beautiful village into a heaven, he says, the whole world could change too. And we would have no need to talk about the MDGs or uplifting of any downtrodden society/community.
When asked how he felt when his village was showcased by the Gates Foundation on their Blog, he gushed with happiness and pride. The district collector and Panchayat officials were so excited, too, he said. But his only complaint was that he could not get a hard copy of the magazine which he could show his villagers. He is so proud like a father, like the father of the heaven he created.
He also invites donation to his Kiran Yojna Scheme for the fixed deposit of INR 31000 of every girl child born in his village. He invites the contributors, readers and fans of World Moms Blog to make a trip to Piplantri. He wants people to embrace such change and for them to build upon it to suit their own society, and community.
This is an original post to World Moms Blog by Purnima, our Indian mother writing from Chennai, India. Her contributions to the World Moms Blog can be found here. She also rambles at The Alchemist’s Blog.
Photo credit to Piplantri.com
What do you think about the traditions put in place to support girls and women in the community of Piplantri?
by Alison Fraser | Jul 16, 2013 | 2013, Economy, Human Rights, India, Social Good, World Moms Blog
Heather Horsey of Swaysilver jewelry
As we all know, raising children in today’s society can be a financial challenge for many. As mothers, we are often seeking the best deal on the purchases we make. Like many, I do consider myself to be a responsible consumer and I try to purchase from ethical sources.
The recent tragedy in a Bangladesh factory that resulted in the loss of hundreds of lives, however, revealed that some of the stores that I purchase from on a regular basis were in some way or another linked to the poor working conditions of this particular factory.
The majority of those who lost their lives that tragic day were our fellow mothers, working to provide the basis necessities of life to their families.
Those lost in the building collapse have not been far from my thoughts since that day. My appreciation has greatly increased for the companies run by my fellow Canadian moms who I know put the ethical treatment employees as a top priority in their company operations. Peekaboo Beans, Redfish Kids Clothing, KiKi Kids, and Red Thread Design are some of my favourite Canadian brands started and operated by some fabulous Canadian moms.
The success of these businesses lead me to wonder: why can’t all companies choose to manufacture goods in an ethical manner? Isn’t it a fundamental obligation of ours? Why is that for some, despite the obvious financial challenges, this is of such high importance, and yet for many, it is not? In order to address this issue, I decided to speak to a friend and local artisan, who I know has given this very topic much thought and consideration.
Soar bracelet by Heather Horsey
Heather Horsey makes beautiful silver jewellery in my Canadian hometown. She recently designed and marketed a “Teach, Feed, Soar” bracelet benefitting my not for profit organization, Mom2Mom Africa. I asked Heather why she chooses to run her business, Swaysilver, in such an admirable and ethical manner.
Her response was equally as admirable: “It’s no secret that for centuries the jewellery industry has been wrought with social injustices and it’s good to see some headway being made in the ethical production of jewellery by using recycled materials and lab-created gemstones. The metal I use is recycled silver, harvested from catalytic converters from the car manufacturing industry. In my opinion, a lot of good has come out of creating jobs overseas, however, it is in the best interest of everyone to make sure the working conditions are safe and pay is fair”.
It is common knowledge that overseas factories provide a huge cost-savings to many companies, enabling them to provide products to interested purchasers at bargain prices. This is a huge challenge to entrepreneurs, like Heather, who are trying to provide products at a competitive price without compromising ethical standards.
According to Heather, “while bargains are enticing, I’d rather buy from a company that I know is going above and beyond to put caring for people first no matter where the product is being made. Competing in price is a challenge only when it is assumed that I should be able to make by hand something that is quickly made by machine in a factory overseas. I do my best to create designs that are original and artistically interesting in order to set my work apart from something that is mass-produced”.
I truly believe that we need to shift our focus from finding the best possible bargain to instead ensuring that our purchased products are being made in a manner that provides safe and respectable working conditions for employees. I encourage everyone to research the way in which products from your favourite companies are produced. Our actions have a direct impact on the lives of many around the world. It is our moral obligation to help those in need, and not endanger the lives of others in order to benefit ourselves. I encourage you to support local artisans and companies of high ethical standards in your communities.
Saving a few dollars can mean the difference between life and death for others.
As mothers and consumers, we have the power to create change and prevent another needless workplace tragedy.
This is an original World Moms Blog post by Canadian writer and founder of Mom2Mom Africa, Alison Frasier.
Are you conscientious about the ethics and conditions under which the products you purchased are sourced?
Alison Fraser is the mother of three young girls ranging in age from 5 to 9 years old. She lives with her family in Cambridge, Ontario, Canada. Alison works as an Environmental Toxicologist with a human environment consulting company and is an active member of the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC). She is also the founder and director of the Canadian Not for Profit Organization, Mom2Mom Africa, which serves to fund the school fees of children and young women in rural Tanzania. Recently recognized and awarded a "Women of Waterloo Region" award, Alison is very involved in charitable events within her community including Christmas Toy and School Backpack Drives for the local foodbank.
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by shootiegirl | Jul 9, 2013 | Motherhood, Social Good, World Voice
LaShaun Martin at the Mom + Social Summit on May 8th, 2013 in New York City.
This past May I was honored to be a speaker for the very first Mom+Social Summit hosted by the United Nations Foundation, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Johnson & Johnson, Huffington Post, Baby Center and 92Y Tribeca in New York City.
I shared several experiences as a Global Mom, but the most difficult one was that of my sweet daughter.
On June 9th, 2012, I happened to be awake on a Saturday morning when I heard something down the hall towards my girls’ rooms. When I went to investigate, I saw my oldest daughter having a grand mal seizure.
This experience shook me to the core with heart-wrenching FEAR I had never experience before. I thought my daughter was dying in front of me!
Instead of going into immediate action, it felt like I stood there for hours watching a movie I had no power to control. When I came out from the fog, I grabbed her, screamed her name, and did everything I could to get her to answer me. When she didn’t, my youngest daughter and I just knew it was the end.
Fortunately, this story has a very happy ending.
With the best doctors and medical care possible, my daughter has been seizure-free since that day.
I am eternally grateful that God saw fit to save MY child that day. But what about all of the other children who suffer with nowhere to turn? No one to rescue them. Parents who can’t afford medical care of even the basic necessities.
My heart bleeds for those children and their future. I want them to have the same experiences and opportunities that my girls have. This is why my goal as a mother is to raise children who think of others and not just themselves. It is my greatest gift to see my girls as “givers” and not “takers.” They have designed t-shirts for Shot@Life – a campaign that raises money for vaccines for children in developing countries, they save their change to donate to several causes, and participate in walks and fundraising for Children’s Hospital. They are the next generation of givers!
Check out my talk at Mom+Social:
How can you teach your children to be givers?
This is an original post to World Moms Blog by our contributor, LaShaun Martin of Shootie Girl in the Washington, DC Metro Area.
Photo credit to Stuart Ramson, UN Foundation.
LaShaun Martin is National Director of Social Media and Community Service for Mocha Moms, Inc. a national 501(c)(3) support group for stay-at-home mothers of color. LaShaun currently works to manage and promote community service programs for the organization to include teen mentoring, Boys Booked on Barbershops literacy program, America’s Promise, MomsRising, Moms Clean Air Force, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and U.S. Department of Education. She is a frequent guest of the White House for events focused on women and girls including tea with First Lady Michelle Obama.
LaShaun holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration. LaShaun spent 20 years with the State of California, the State of Maryland Department of Corrections managing public education, research, FBI programs and later Hewlett Packard. LaShaun now serves as CEO and Designer of her own company, Shootie Girl™ Custom Rhinestone Apparel and Shootie Girl™ Blog – Positive Messages for Women and Girls. Shootie Girl™ designs have been featured with CNN’s Soledad O’Brien, Sherri Shepherd of The View, Carol’s Daughter, Clinique Cosmetics, Jack and Jill of America, Inc., Still Standing Movie, Dr. Sherry Blake of Essence Magazine and Aja Dantzler of R&B singing couple Kindred and the Family Soul and Blogalicious.
LaShaun is passionate about giving back and ensures her company reflects a heart for service by donating many “t-shirts for a cause” to Heart of Haiti, the women of Zimbabwe and The United Nations Foundation Shot@Life Campaign. She also serves on the Advisory Board of MOMentumNation and the Epilepsy Foundation.
LaShaun’s greatest passions are her husband, two lovely daughters and music.
Blog: http://www.shootiegirl.net
Custom Rhinestone Apparel: http://www.shootiegirl.com
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by Jennifer Burden | Jul 2, 2013 | Shot@Life, Social Good, Uganda, World Voice
This is Day 4 of a trip to Uganda with the UN Foundation’s Shot@Life campaign. World Moms Blog founder, Jennifer Burden, was part of the delegation to observe UNICEF’s Family Health Days in October 2012.
Elizabeth, a volunteer health worker and Ugandan mother who helps to administer life-saving vaccines to children under 5 years old in Fort Portal with World Moms Blog Founder, Jennifer Burden, on a Shot@Life trip to Uganda in October 2012.
At Church in Uganda
Sunday, we rose and prepared for the Family Health Day in the town of Fort Portal, which is about a 4 hour drive from Uganda’s capital, Kampala. Our delegation split in two because there were two Family Health Days within our reach that our group wanted to cover, so some of our group headed to a Catholic Church. I was with the group that was at an Anglican church for a Family Health Day.
It was that day that I met John the Baptist, a man who wished to continue school to become a priest, but economics didn’t allow him to do so. He now worked for the town of Fort Portal and accompanied us on our trip. It turned out John the Baptist has a 6 year old daughter, and she and my own 5 year daughter are becoming pen pals over e-mail. What a fantastic cultural experience that may grow out of this trip for two of the world’s children!
We arrived at a grassy knoll with a church on top of the hill. It was picturesque. The familiar (to me) tune of hymns were coming from the building, and on the outside, the health workers were setting up their stations under trees and outside of buildings. Signs were words scrawled on paper: “HIV Testing Here” “Immunizations for Children Under 5”, etc.
First, Cindy Levin’s curiosity led us all into the mass. We sat on what looked like hand made wooden pews and the church inside was painted sky blue and had what looked like Christmas garland hanging from side to side overhead. The energy of the people singing inside was intense! As the priest spoke in a local African dialect, I was able to follow the mass. Not from what he said, but by the sing-song of his tone. I recognized the “Our Father” and the “The Apostle’s Creed” from my days of growing up as a Catholic, although I currently choose not to practice a religion now.
UNICEF Family Health Day
Afterwards we met with health workers, including a lab technician conducting HIV testing, a nurse midwife, and various volunteers administering vaccines, taking blood pressure and testing for malnutrition in small children. The delegation spent time observing each post, but former Mexican nurse, Felisa Hilbert, took it one step further and helped take blood pressure to the smiles of many people waiting in line.
Felisa Hilbert, a former nurse from Mexico, volunteers to take blood pressure during a UNICEF Family Health Day on a Shot@Life trip to Uganda.
Families waited under the shade of large, beautiful trees for their family members who were utilizing the health services. I had the chance to see children receive polio vaccinations.
Interacting with the mothers who were receiving these immunization services for their children was profound for me, after spending almost a year advocating for their children to have access to them.
The people we met in Uganda were curious and open to conversation, and so were we. Having previous been an British colony, English is common in Uganda. Having this common medium, made it possible for our delegation to really experience the local culture and people of Uganda.
I asked so many questions, met so many people and took a lot of notes. The trip has been an asset for me in leading discussions on Twitter for social good for World Moms Blog, for presenting on Shot@Life, in my writing, and in lobbying US Congress on global health and vaccines, talking to friends. But perhaps, it’s greatest impact will be on my daughters due to the multitude of stories I share with them about the children I met in Uganda. My experiences as part of this delegation were so meaningful. Thank you, again, to the UN Foundation and Shot@Life for giving me this great gift that I will continue to share in my advocacy.
This is an original post to World Moms Blog by founder, Jennifer Burden, in NJ, USA. To read more about Jennifer’s trip with Shot@Life to Uganda, check out Day 1 about UNICEF offices in Kampala, Uganda, Day 2 of her trip at a UNICEF Family Health Day in Mumbende, Uganda and Day 3 about signs of poverty.
Photo credits to the author.
Jennifer Burden is the Founder and CEO of World Moms Network, an award winning website on global motherhood, culture, human rights and social good. World Moms Network writes from over 30 countries, has over 70 contributors and was listed by Forbes as one of the “Best 100 Websites for Women”, named a “must read” by The New York Times, and was recommended by The Times of India.
She was also invited to Uganda to view UNICEF’s family health programs with Shot@Life and was previously named a “Global Influencer Fellow” and “Social Media Fellow” by the UN Foundation. Jennifer was invited to the White House twice, including as a nominated "Changemaker" for the State of the World Women Summit. She also participated in the One Campaign’s first AYA Summit on the topic of women and girl empowerment and organized and spoke on an international panel at the World Bank in Washington, DC on the importance of a universal education for all girls. Her writing has been featured by Baby Center, Huffington Post, ONE.org, the UN Foundation’s Shot@Life, and The Gates Foundation’s “Impatient Optimists.” She is currently a candidate in Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs in the Executive Masters of Public Affairs program, where she hopes to further her study of global policies affecting women and girls.
Jennifer can be found on Twitter @JenniferBurden.
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