“Why didn’t you tell us about all of these things?” my 9-year-old daughter recently asked me as she feverishly jotted down notes about poverty, gender inequality, climate change, and other global challenges.
We were on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. for the Global Citizen Earth Day festival, hearing from speakers and performers about the injustices facing billions of people around the world, and my daughter wanted to know why my generation hasn’t been moving faster to fix them.
Her passion gives me hope for the future, and it makes me want to redouble my efforts to work with the United Nations to create a world where every child can get quality health care, go to school, and pursue her dreams.
From the United States to Uruguay to Uganda, parents everywhere want to leave their kids a better world than the one they inherited. And right now, we have our work cut out for us.
That’s because every 20 seconds, a child dies from a vaccine-preventable disease. Every year, nearly 3 million babies die in their first month of life. Complications from pregnancy and childbirth are a leading cause of death for girls ages 15-19. And more than 60 million girls are out of school.
The good news is: We have solutions – from vaccines to education to better health information and training – to save lives and create healthy, happy families. The task before us is to get these solutions to families who need them. The United Nations and partners are working every day to deliver solutions, and by supporting their efforts, we can help more children and families.
This is where you come in.
On Friday, we are launching the “Global Moms Relay” to tap into the power of families – moms, dads, aunts, uncles, neighbors, and friends – to raise awareness of global challenges and inspire action for global solutions.
Here’s how it works:
From May 1 to June 19, celebrities, community leaders, and parents will share a personal story about the future they want for their families and the world. Each time you share one of these stories via social media, Johnson & Johnson will donate $1 per action (up to $300,000) to help improve the health and wellbeing of moms and kids around the world. The donations will benefit:
- Shot@Life, a UN Foundation campaign that helps provide life-saving vaccines where they are most needed;
- The UN Foundation’s Girl Up campaign, a global community of advocates changing policies and raising funds to support UN programs that help the hardest to reach girls living in places where it is hardest to be a girl; and
- UNICEF’s project in Ethiopia that helps newborns survive by strengthening the skills of health care providers working in neonatal intensive care units.
Another great way to learn more is to tune into Moms +SocialGood on Friday, May 1. This one-day event will launch the Global Moms Relay and highlight the power of moms and families to create a better future for their communities and feature:
- Actress and Save the Children Ambassador Jennifer Garner;
- Journalist and anchor of ABC World News Tonight, David Muir;
- World-renowned photographer and Shot@Life Global Advocate, Anne Geddes; and
- 55 fifth graders from the renowned PS22 Chorus will join the one-day event.
- You can watch the event here and join the conversation online with the hashtag #GlobalMoms.
When I look back on life, I want to know that I made a difference for my daughter and children everywhere. Global Moms Relay is one step to help the UN create a healthier world for generations to come. We hope you will visit GlobalMomsRelay.org and join us.