So what happens now then?

I was asked this question a couple of weeks ago and I think it is a very pertinent one and it has certainly been useful. I have found myself many times in the last few weeks pondering - what now?

The quick and simple answer is that I have no idea.  I do not know what the future holds or what I am supposed to be doing. All will be revealed in God's good timing and I must have patience to wait and see.

That is pretty frustrating though, as of course I want to make things happen, to change the world and to stop injustice. I want to jump on it and make it happen now, not tomorrow, not next month and certainly not in five years time. I see what others are doing and my actions feel inadequate but we are not supposed to compare ourselves to others, that helps no-one. We must just follow our own personal path.

I've mentioned many times that I do not like resolutions as I feel they are made to be broken but I do see the value in setting goals and having forward vision. To some extent it is difficult to set long-term goals as I truly want to be open to what God has in store for me and I don't want to be too busy off on a tangent that is not part of his plan.

My top 10 #AYASummit Moments

I've got so much going round my head at the moment and it is just becoming a big jumble. I sit down at the computer to put my thoughts into words and nothing comes and then I get cross with myself and try to focus, realistically it is a bit of a vicious cycle.  I know myself well enough to know it is time for a bloggy break and that's coming but I've just got a few things to sort out first.

One of the things I really did want to capture before taking a break is all the amazing moments I experienced when I was in Washington DC with ONE for the #AYASummit. As I've said before this really was the most inspiring and all-consuming conference that I have ever had the privileged to attend. I just need to get my head in order so I can use all the information and experiences I gained.

Here is my top 10, I thought about doing a count-down but it would seem wrong to place the events in any kind of order of importance or relevance as they were all so impacting -

1.  Listening to Marquesha Babers read her poem she had written as an entry to the Girl Rising competition to attend the Women in the World summit. What was remarkable is that 19 year old Marquesha has spent most of her life homeless and yet her spirit and morals are fabulous, she talked after about protecting her cousins for poor TV choices and getting an education.

Let me introduce you to Saa #AYASummit #WhereAreOurGirls

Saa with Emmanuel and our summit host Patricia Amira

A couple of weeks ago I was in Washington DC with ONE at the first Girls and Women's #AYAsummit. The purpose of the summit was to bring leading digital and media influencers together so that we could be inspired and learn more about all facets of international development, of course with the hope that we would then go out and spread the word.

In West African Adrinka symbols the word AYA is the name for a fern. A fern is a hardy plant that grows in difficult places and people who choose to wear the AYA symbol may be symbolising their own strength, resilience, resourcefulness and endurance. This of course makes it a perfect symbol for this conference of mostly women exploring issues that affect women and girls in the main.

A year in photos (Washington DC with ONE #AYASummit)

Stunning colours in DC

My life has been a whirlwind the last couple of weeks but in the best way. The first week I was away in the USA at the #AYASumit with ONE Girls and Women and I heard and learnt so much that I want to share it all with you but I need some quite time to process. The kids go back to school on Tuesday and from then I can imagine is when I will be able to start writing some posts about all the different panels that we listened to and engaged with.

For now I’ll share some photos from my time in America.

 I arrived into DC early evening and was collected by my friend and ONE Strategic Relationships Manager Jeannine. We had travelled together to Ethiopia in 2012 and she had kindly agreed to put me up for a couple of nights before we checked into the hotel for the formal start of the conference. I was blown away by her hospitality, she was so busy preparing for what would be an amazing conference but still she found time to make a divine veggie lasagne, enjoy a glass of wine with me and we got to spend some time catching up and enjoying each other’s company.

As Jeannine headed off to work the next day I went into central DC for to explore and found it a really nice city. The streets are wide and clean and the buildings reminded me of being in Europe, as they were very elegant, square and symmetrical. I particularly enjoyed the Museum of American History and of course got the obligatory White House selfie. I didn’t actually see quite as much as I hoped as it started to pour with rain in the afternoon but I figured my hubby and I would come back here someday.

Wednesday was a chilled morning catching up with work and then the afternoon was a decadent one as I checked into the hotel and had a luxurious bath, read a good book and explored the local area enjoying a traditional Afghan kabob for lunch.

The evening was the start of our conference and all the delegates met at the Mansion on O Street, the agenda was jam packed drinks and nibbles. This is the most unusual and interesting venue, it is open for private events but is also a hotel and literally everything in the place is for sale (at a price). You are encouraged to walk around and explore the four floors and look for the secret doors. It was fascinating to see what treasures there were across the property. You can stay in the bedrooms and the bathrooms are boast things like a telephone box shower, a glass chess set in the middle of the room and a wooden bath. You can buy a second hand novel for about a dollar right through to guitars played by and signed by music stars that cost thousands of dollars.

One of the hats you could buy at the O Street Mansion

I didn’t know many people at this reception and felt a little like an outsider but it only takes a few really friendly people to pull you in and make you welcome.  On this occasion those people were Jen Burden of World Moms Blog, Cindy Levin from Results and Aliza Sherman, entrepreneur and freelance writer/ speaker. We enjoyed a few drinks and a great chat all around the topic of international development and what we could do to make a difference.

The conference really got into full swing on Thursday and the agenda was jam packed, on the one hand I would say too much so but on the other it was all so brilliant I just can’t fault it.

Chelsea of Do a Little Good. I certainly want to get to know this passionate lady better

Amazing women doing amazing things - more to be shared....

The awesome Ginny Wolfe, Director at ONE, who invited me to America and to an amazing steak dinner!

After Friday lunch the summit finished and I had a wonderful time in Georgetown with Kristie which I have shared already.

Goodbye America, the view as I flew off

I’m liking this post up with The Boy and Me for the 365 project. Why don’t you go and visit some of the other linkers and see what they have been up to?

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One afternoon in Georgetown, DC

I'm sat here in my hotel room and it is my last morning in Washington DC and I feel like the luckiest girl alive. I'm heading home to my wonderful family and about to spend time with them all in glorious Jersey but I just thought I'd share what Georgetown, a historic superb of Washington DC looks like in the fall, or should I say Autumn? I am British after all.

I had planned to do a spot of shopping, get some food and maybe try out the cinema alone on my last evening in DC but then by chance I met the lovely Kristi York Wooten and she said lets team up and have a shop. I'm so glad she is the super friendly Southern type as we had a fantastic but chilled afternoon and then a very posh meal out in the evening. It was a perfect end to my first USA visit, thank you Kristi.

Actually that last one is not in Georgetown, that is Dupont Circle on the walk back to our hotel. A perfect afternoon of just gently moseying around.

Have a blessed weekend, Mich x

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You’re bored of me, aren’t you?

I think for some of you it might be the truth, you come and visit my blog and think, “what again? Really Michelle are you sharing another post asking us to sign up for something, give money or use our brains in a way that might hurt, that might make us actually think? That might take us outside of our comfort zone?”

Well yes I am and I get that you’re bored, at times I get bored too but it does not mean I can stop. I feel absolutely compelled to do what I can, to share the stories of the voiceless and to take a stand against injustice. I’ve always protested that I’m just an average small-town girl, that I’m nothing special and that I’m the same as you. But maybe I’m not, maybe I am something special (not in my own steam you understand, anything I do or achieve is through God) because I have accepted that I’m an activist. I see injustice and I want to make it change. I don’t fool myself, I can’t do it alone and that is why I regularly cry out to you, my readers, my friends for your help.

I think it is important that little treasures like this young girl I met in Ethiopia get immunised. I know that in the developed world people banter about inoculations and whether they want their kids to have the controversial MMR or the new HPV vaccine but it is not the same in the developing world. A shot here in the UK for tetanus or polio is completely different, we have herd immunity as a country and a developed healthcare and sanitation system so disease does not spread in the same manner.

But for millions of children, particularly in Africa and Asia it is a very sad situation and their siblings and friends are dying daily. Whilst I was in Washington, DC this past week at the #AYASummit I listened to a panel on immunisations and how important it is for all children to be given the reassurance of protection against the diseases that are rife in their country. GAVI, the Vaccine Alliance is a public-private partnership that helps to ensure that more children can access the vaccines they need to stay healthy. Since its formation in 2000, GAVI has supported the immunisation of 440 million children and has saved more than 6 million lives. That is a pretty impressive statistic, isn’t it?

The time has now come for the next funding round for GAVI and they need to raise $7.5billion dollars over the next five years so they can support the immunisation of an additional 300 million children and save more than 5 million additional lives. I think that is important, don't you?

As I sat in that summit and heard that America is the fourth highest donor I had to wonder who the first was and then one of my colleagues asked and my proud face shone. It is the UK, a tiny country but in caring for the world we are a mighty force but that does not mean we can rest on our laurels and not worry. It means we need to help press America and the White House to give more. They are a much bigger country than us, they can dig deeper in their treasury pocket. Don’t you think?

So will you please join with me to tweet –

“NO excuses @WhiteHouse Stop dragging your feet and replenish @gavi today! #vaccineswork #AYAaction”

Or even just retweet one of my tweets, follow the link HERE

Or Instagram and make sure you include @Gavi @whitehouse and #AYAaction please. Use the image below or use one of your child, it does not matter but the numbers hitting the Whitehouse feed DO MATTER!

Or if you really care and I know some of you passionatley do, why don't you write a blog post for this and encourage your readers to take a stand as well. If you ask me (tweet, comment etc)  I'll put together a short and easy to use media pack for you.

Then if you want to know more about GAVI and vaccinations check out the easy to read information on ONE.org. and while you are there sign the petition, it takes just moments and ONE are one of the best things to have happened to my life in the last couple of years.

Thank you friends, if you stick with me I promise to keep on fighting for a better world and I'll try my hardest not to bore you in the process!

Be blessed, Mich x

I'll leave you with a video that will make you smile -

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I'm off to America for the ONE #AYASummit

As you read this post I'll be on a plane heading towards Washington, D.C.  I've never been to America before so I am super excited but in truth I'm not sure how much of it I will get to see as this isn't a sightseeing holiday.  I arrive Monday night and then I have Tuesday and Wednesday daytime before my conference starts. I have no plans, I'll just play it by ear.

I'm staying with a beautiful family in Virgina and I'll happily take their recommendations of what I should get up to. I don't know if my time will be my own or if I'll get to visit the ONE head office in DC Where Jeannine (Senior Manager for Strategic Partnerships) works, the unknown is kinda fun though, it is so not my usual style.

The AYA summit itself will draw attention to issues facing girls and women in the developing world, it will showcase both the progress against and challenges of extreme poverty. The role that everyone must play if the bold goal of virtually eliminating extreme poverty by 2030 is to be met with be highligted. ONE believe that every voice and every hand is vital, whether it is the non-profit or faith communities, businesses, governments or even individuals like you and me.

When girls and women are given the necessary education and tools, they can be change-makers within their families and communities. Through a series of talks, panels, visuals, and demonstrations, The summit will explore what it means to be born female in Africa, and what ONE (and all its members), working together with our African partners, can do to make sure that all girls and women reach their potential. The summit will bring together leaders from the non-profit, government, private sector and celebrity arenas.

Photo Credit: ONE/ Karen Walrond

You'll see me tweeting, Instagrammng and sharing on Facebook this week using the hashtag #AYASummit and if you enjoy what you read then please do share or RT my posts. Any new people we can get signed up to ONE and joining the fight against extreme poverty will be a massive plus.

I'm looking forward to learning loads of new information about what is happening in Africa at the moment and I'll be thrilled to share what I learn with you all. I'm going to be sensible and live in the moment rather than breaking my back to blog each day whilst I'm in America so I expect to post Saturday 25th Onwards, although I'm on a plane most of that day so we will see!

I hope you have a great week whilst I'm away, I know I will.

Be blessed, Mich x

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