Recently, the White House hosted an online Q&A session on innovation for global development. Since the subject is a passion of mine, I was immediately prompted to submit a question to USAID Administrator Dr. Raj Shah.

Listen to Joe’s question here:

I try to do all that I can to mobilize faith-based institutions with congregations in Africa to get involved in serving their communities through development. I have seen examples of this on a small scale in Kenya, where one particular church denomination is utilizing local congregations to teach and train Kenyan nationals in areas such as agriculture and nutrition.

A highly organized network of 4,000 national churches is already in place, with property available to use for development education and training. The facilities could also be used as food distribution centers and medical clinics. The possibilities are endless.

This passion of mine led me to ask the question, “How can faith-based organizations with congregations in Africa be used as training facilities for the latest in development technology?” I was thrilled that my question was chosen, but even more encouraging was the response from Dr. Shah and Gayle Smith, special assistant to the President and senior director of the National Security Council.

In short, Dr. Shah explained that faith-based organizations currently play an important role in the developing world, citing an example of one congregation, Saddleback Church, which has sent more than 14,000 workers on development and health-oriented missions to Africa. If one congregation is capable of this, what could we do collectively as people of faith? Dr. Shah added that right now in Nairobi, Kenya, people living in extreme poverty are most likely already getting their healthcare and education from an institution of faith.

Gayle Smith added that networks of churches and other religious institutions are extremely valuable not only as providers of bed nets for malaria prevention, but also as educators on the proper use of these life-saving tools.

In summary, I was greatly encouraged to hear that these types of community partnerships are highly successful, and it further ignited my passion to mobilize congregations to get engaged in development projects overseas. What can we do as people of faith, moving forward, to make a profound impact on our world? As you can see, the possibilities are endless.

Last Saturday, the town of Dexter, Mich., came together to celebrate Airplane Day, a unique advocacy event that commemorates the life and legacy of Laurence Carolin, a Dexter teen who passed away due to brain cancer two years ago.

Laurence was a truly incredible and selfless individual who was passionately involved with ONE and committed to raising awareness about the fight against poverty and disease. He even dedicated the last year of his life to this cause and donated all of his Make-A-Wish Foundation money to the United Nations Foundation, one of ONE’s partners. Laurence’s compassion was so inspiring that he was not only invited to meet Bono (a co-founder of ONE), but even inspired his family and friends to commit to carrying on his legacy of activism. Airplane Day is the culmination of this promise on the date that marks Laurence’s arrival in the US after he was adopted from his birth country of South Korea.

This year’s Airplane Day was an amazing experience and a true testament to the ability of just one voice to motivate and mobilize an entire community. In fact, the event was largely organized by a new ONE chapter at Dexter High School that was founded by a group of Laurence’s friends. Our University of Michigan ONE chapter was also empowered by Laurence’s story, so some of our leaders have been working closely with this group to help establish and run the organization. Through the combined efforts of Laurence’s friends, family and both ONE chapters, the event was a huge success, filled with great music, inspirational speeches and advocacy of all forms.

Furthermore, this event brought together people of all ages to learn about Laurence’s passions and ONE. Thus, throughout the event, both ONE groups were able to engage participants in conversations about ONE’s mission and inspire them to get involved. By the end of the night, we had signed up around 50 new members. We also generated 32 petition signatures for Feed the Future, 35 photo petitions to President Obama, and more than 40 letters to the Securities and Exchange Commission. Furthermore, the event inspired many more to pledge to hold their national leaders accountable in the fight to end extreme poverty and disease as well as to donate money to the United Nations Foundation.

Observing the ripple effects of Laurence’s compassion on Saturday was extremely moving. Though Laurence may no longer be with us, I truly believe his legacy will never die and his selfless dedication to ending extreme poverty will continue to empower all of us until one day his dream becomes a reality.

-Chelsea Davis, ONE member, Michigan

Saturday morning was incredible. Braving construction chaos and downtown parking, a group of 25 interested (and interesting) everyday citizens of Washington State converged in Tacoma to attend a ONE Faith workshop with Jonathan Young, our regional field director and Adam Phillips, manager of faith advocacy at ONE.

We learned about initiatives for global health and poverty relief, and how these things relate to our faith communities. Our goal for the morning? To come away with at least one practical thing a faith community could do to make a difference in the life of one of the 1.5 billion people living in extreme poverty.

People of faith across the nation gather weekly, in our various communities of faith, to worship and to learn more about loving God and loving our neighbors. Working for the end of poverty, and its catastrophic effects, is a powerful way of showing love and reaching out to our neighbors all over the world… thankfully ONE provides a great channel for this expression.

With ideas ranging from participation in ONE Sabbath, congressional letter writing campaigns, partnering with other like-minded organizations, and engaging with local political leaders, we came away with practical tools to strengthen our advocacy skills and great new friendships.

As part of our advocacy training, we discussed the 2012 budget process. Many of us were amazed to learn that our local representative, Congressman Norm Dicks, (WA-6), is a leader on the powerful House Committee on Appropriations. This committee essentially cashes the president’s check for the entire US budget. We were thrilled to learn that he is a longtime champion of fighting poverty, especially saving the lives of mothers and young children.

Gratitude is a very important part of faith, so we were delighted to write letters expressing our appreciation to Congressman Dicks, celebrating his heroic work ensuring that life-saving development assistance programs were not gutted in the final FY12 appropriations bill.

We are especially thankful for his work to help save the Global Fund’s allocation, to enable it continue to provide lifesaving treatment for millions of HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis patients, provide bed nets to prevent malaria, and develop health systems in poor nations that serve those in need. We are proud of the work our Congressman is doing and glad to give our support!

It was an incredible morning. It is an incredible mission. Join us as we love our neighbors by working to make poverty history. Join ONE and make a difference.

-ONE member Heather James, Washington

We had a great event for ONE members in Chicago yesterday. A group of all ages and backgrounds gathered at Robert Morris University downtown to hear what ONE is all about, learn of our objectives for the new year, see living proof of smart, effective foreign aid, and find ways to get more involved in their communities.

In fact, almost all of our attendees took several important actions during the hour-long meeting. They wrote letters to the US Securities and Exchange Commission in support of greater transparency, and encouraged the Commission to pass a strong rule requiring companies to disclose payments made to foreign governments for access to their natural resources.

SEE ALSO: US regulators feel pressure to weaken transparency law… and why you should care

In addition, Chicago ONE members participated in a photo petition to urge elected officials to support life-saving, smart, development policies that save lives (pictures on the ONE Great Lakes Region Facebook page). We also wrote cards for Senator Mark Kirk, who is recovering from a stroke, to wish him well.

As we enter an important year for ONE in Chicago, especially with the G8 being in town in May, I am inspired by the active members we have in the city, the support they continue to give ONE, and their readiness to be advocates for the world’s poorest people.

Last week, only days to go before Florida voters cast their ballots, fellow ONE member Zach Lamb and I attended a State of the Union watch party hosted by the Jacksonville Young Democrats, a group eager to help build support for the fight against extreme poverty and preventable diseases. Since ONE is a nonpartisan organization, I suggested that promoting ONE within the community might be a great opportunity to reach out and partner with the Young Republicans. And so began a fun few days delivering on ONE Vote 2012.

The Young Democrats were kind enough to invite us back two nights later to watch the Republican debate, which took place right here in Jacksonville.

The next day we visited some of the presidential campaign offices in town. We were warmly welcomed everywhere we went. The staff at the office of former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, R-Ga., even invited us back to watch the debate with them!

Our first stop the day of the debate was a morning event with Gov. Mitt Romney. The man of the hour himself came right over to Zach and me after his remarks — and seeing the ONE logo on our T-shirts, he told us that we were doing a great job! His words were very encouraging and energized us for the day ahead.

When it came time for the debate, Zach and I decided to take up both the Young Democrats and Gingrich’s team on their offers. We split ways for the night; Zach joined Gingrich’s staff and I joined the Young Democrats.

During the debate, we were pleased to hear Romney speak about how the US should help spread universal rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, as well as promote sustainable economic success through smart trade policies.

The Young Democrats had a special guest join them for their event: Democratic National Committee Chair Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz. She shared brief remarks with the group, carefully studied the questions and answers from the debate, gave multiple television interviews, and even took a minute to speak to me about ONE.

Florida voters will now play their role in the selection of a Republican nominee for president. Whoever the challenger turns out to be, I hope that both parties will continue to agree on their support of life-saving programs for the world’s poorest people.

In my last post, I showed you some of the really cool things that can happen in a day in the life of a ONE Vote organizer. But sometimes, things don’t always go as planned. Such has been the case for my recent exploits down here in the Sunshine State in the build up to the primary. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not going to complain about being near the beach, but patience is definitely a virtue on the campaign trail.

Thursday, I made the two-hour trek down to Pensacola, Fla., from where I am staying with family in Panama City Beach. As soon as I arrived at what was to be an event with presidential candidate Sen. Rick Santorum, a torrential downpour made the event soggy and unpleasant for someone who forgot their umbrella. But luckily, I had a cool ONE hoodie nearby (shameless ONE Store plug, check them out). To my dismay, the crowd gathered was told that Senator Santorum couldn’t land due to the severe weather threat, and thus I trudged back to my car for what was not looking like a fun ride back. But when life gives you severe weather that makes road conditions hazardous, get FroYo until the storm passes!

Then on Saturday, the big Governor Mitt Romney rally was right here in Panama City, so I made my way out on what was a beautiful, sunny and warm day (I know everyone experiencing real winter is yelling through their computer screens at me).

I came so close to getting a chance to speak with Gov. Romney, edging my way in through the crowds to get to the rope line (which has become an art form after all of these months) — but due to patterns of candidate hand-shaking dynamics (that’s the scientific name, right?) I missed out on speaking to the Governor. I still haven’t mastered the mathematics of when a candidate will move to the other side of the rope line, but I think the variable cute baby was the determining factor of this miss.

It all works out in the end though, because yesterday, I made my way to Speaker Newt Gingrich’s event in Pensacola. Using my crowd-dodging skills, I once again made my way into the path of the Speaker and had a chance to talk to him about ONE and smart investments that save lives and promote American security, the latter being something he had touched on in his remarks, to which I received a nice thumbs up. Awesome!

Being an advocate for the world’s poorest can present challenges, and some days are rainier than others, but the ultimate reward comes when you know your voice was heard!

Tabetha John left her home in Sierra Leone to live in the United States at age six. Ten years later, she continues to stay connected to her home country donating clothes, books and more to Africa.

Born in Freetown, Tabetha grew up around tropical beaches and had a great family. But on a recent trip to Sierra Leone, Tabetha said she witnessed poverty at a whole other level. After Sierra Leone’s civil war, many people lost their homes, and even more than that.

“A lot of people on the streets are missing limbs. I’ve seen homeless people missing their arms, or missing part of their leg,” she says. “A lot of [people] have scars on their faces too.”

Seeing these extreme cases of poverty motivated her. On the other side of the world, Tabetha gives back to Sierra Leone by donating clothes, shoes and books to the homeless.

As a co-leader for her school’s branch of the African Library Project, an organization that mobilizes US volunteers to organize book drives, Tabetha helps the Project build libraries in rural parts of Africa by collecting and sorting books.

“It’s my way of giving back even though I can’t be there,” says Tabetha.

Overall, the African Library Project as a whole has donated a total of 748,000 books. As a result, 701 libraries have been built in Zimbabwe, Zambia, Cameroon, Lesotho, Nigeria, Botswana, Swaziland, Malawi and Ghana.

“After the war, people not only lost their homes, but they didn’t have the opportunity to pursue an education. Building these libraries in rural parts of Africa is important because it gets people one step closer to a better future.”

Tabetha also helps fight poverty by donating used clothes and shoes to homeless children in Sierra Leone.
“My grandma and I would fill up those big barrel containers with my old clothes, shoes and stuff I don’t use. We ship them to my family in Sierra Leone who then give them out to the poor,” she says.

Tabetha hopes to continue these projects to not only fight poverty in Sierra Leone, but in all of Africa.
For more information on the African Library Project, visit their website here.

10. You never know what candidate events will bring. In South Carolina, we sent two ONE members to the Lowcountry Sportsmen Barbecue for Newt Gingrich. We didn’t know what a “lowcountry sportsman” was, but we took a leap of faith and sent Kate and Adrienne out to talk with Speaker Gingrich about extreme poverty-fighting. And it was well worth it, as the ladies had an opportunity to speak with Gingrich directly.

9. Having a little fun along the way. We decided to attend comedian Stephen Colbert-Herman Cain rally. There were thousands of folks in attendance and Stephen Colbert’s grand entrance involved a two marching bands and a full chorus singing “This Little Light of Mine.”

8. Is it socially acceptable for adults to wear matching outfits? Well, when you’re on the ONE Campaign trail it is! For three days, our team traveled in packs, all wearing the same ONE Logo T-shirts.

7. You never know who you will meet on the campaign trail! Jim Duggar, the father of TLC’s show, “19 Kids and Counting” came to South Carolina for Rick Santorum. Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty who was out stumping for Mitt Romney. And at a Newt Gingrich event I had the fortune to meet Colonel Michael Steele, Company Commander of the US Army Ranger company portrayed in the book and film Black Hawk Down.

6. Debate-a-palooza! We headed to the CNN Debate in Charleston on Thursday the 19th to see what this installment would bring. I was able to talk to Donna Brazzille about ONE as she put on a white ONE band, and after the debate, ONE supporters ran into Representative Tim Scott at McDonald’s and were able to talk to the congressman about the fight against extreme poverty while he waited for his order!

5. Lending a helping hand (and umbrella)! While life on the campaign trail is busy and hectic, Election Day is a bit slower because there are not as many events and activities. So, we decided to give out coffee to voters as they headed to the polls. At a precinct in Chapin, it started pouring down rain — so, in addition to giving out coffee, we had some extra umbrellas so we were providing some cover for folks as they walked from their cars to the voting station. It made it on the cover of the Washington Post!

4. Sleep Deprivation: Well it turns out there is no makeup in the world that can cover a 4 a.m. wake up call, And three days of 4 a.m. wake up calls make you downright maniacal! Life on the ONE trail starts early, but at least you don’t have to spend a lot of time figuring out what to wear since you wear your ONE T-shirt every day!

3. Halloween in January? You wouldn’t believe the number of grown adults that wear costumes and make very interesting clothing choices out on the campaign trail. I’ve seen pigs dancing in convertibles, what I can only describe as a homemade Mr. America costume, and fake Sarah Palin.

2. Amazing Southern food: Well the cuisine of South Carolina speaks directly to my Kentucky heart! Don’t judge me for having shrimp and grits three times in three days.

1. Watching volunteers get a chance to support ONE with their members of Congress, the media and be on TV all at the same time! The cast of “Morning Joe” were filming live from Charleston in the days leading up to the primary. Latwyla, a ONE volunteer from Columbia, was able to meet the cast of Morning Joe and talk about ONE with the Representative Jim Clyburn.

Whew, our First in the South primaries sure have caused a little shakeup.

Now that the votes are in and the candidates are moving to the Sunshine State, I took a moment to reflect on what I thought was a rather exciting moment. While talking to the candidates and surrogates about the importance of development aid has been crucial, I think my favorite part of this cycle is educating the voters around me in the crowds about foreign aid.

The most recent experience happened just this past weekend. I went to see Speaker Newt Gingrich accept endorsements from former Governor Perry supporters.

While at the event, I met this wonderful lady, Martha. Martha was from Texas, a Perry supporter, and was interested to see Gingrich. While we were waiting for the speakers to get on stage, I explained ONE to her, and she said she’d love to visit the website to learn more.

On Primary Day when we delivered coffee to the Romney Headquarters, I saw Martha again. She remembered our conversation from the night before and was excited to tell me she visited the website. “I think I signed up with my email address,” she explained.

While never knowing who she was supporting now (from Perry to Gingrich to working a Romney phone) it helped me see how no matter who we support, we all want to help end the most extreme cases of poverty and eradicate diseases that are preventable.

As we head to Florida for an exciting week of megastate primaries, I’m excited to see if I meet another Martha and help them join our cause.

Follow Zach at @ZachLamb on Twitter.

-Zach Lamb, ONE Vote organizer

The cold and snowy weather didn’t stop ONE Peoria from giving our first presentation to members of Rotary Club of Peoria Downtown about ONE’s official collaboration with Rotary International. We shared information about ONE’s mission and highlighted the Living Proof successes and detailed several key issues of focus for ONE, including childhood vaccines that Rotarians could help support with their advocacy, and projects to help further eradicate extreme poverty. We also highlighted area ONE volunteer engagement with members of Congress and made a call to action for the club and individual members to join ONE. Twenty members signed up on the spot! A great beginning.