As the temperature went up this summer, ONE members like you didn't stay in to beat the heat. In the month of August, ONE members organized dozens of in-district lobbying meetings with members of Congress and sent more than 90,000 letters to back those meetings up.

In those meetings, you advocated for poverty-fighting legislation that offers practical solutions to problems that keep millions trapped in poverty—from the women-empowering GROWTH Act to the Education for All Act, which would help a generation of children get access to a real education.

You also stepped-up and responded to a special call to advocate for the lifesaving Global Child Survival Act. Your letters in support of the Global Child Survival Act sent a very clear message: It is unacceptable that 30,000 children die everyday of preventable causes. The Global Child Survival Act would make investments in low-cost but effective lifesaving interventions, like immunizations, vitamins, and basic sanitation. ONE members represent the will of an American people that are ready to act.

Thank you. Your efforts reminded politicians in Washington that there are millions of Americans who want to do the right thing and lead the fight against global poverty.

The only thing more impressive than the sheer number of letters and lobbying meetings is the impact they had. The blog posts ONE members submitted about their meetings with members of Congress show just how effective our grassroots lobbying can be.

In Florida, ONE members met with Republican Congressman Lincoln Diaz-Balart who:

...agreed to closely review the Global Child Survival Act. He also agreed to support the GROWTH Act and saw merit in the proposal to help women in developing countries.
And in Alabama:

...seven ONE activists took turns briefing [Democratic] Rep. Davis on three pieces of legislation: The Education for All Act, The Global Child Survival Act, and the GROWTH Act...
Rep. Davis, commented that this legislation builds a "case for American values." He said that there is a perception "that America is no longer interested in marginalized people around the world."

Davis' district consists of some of the poorest counties in the US where as much as 30-40% of the population live below the poverty line. Davis says he is sometimes asked how he can spend time on global poverty issues when the needs at home are so great. He responded that "in a strong country, addressing poverty abroad and poverty at home should not be an either/or issue but a both/and issue..."

And Rep. Davis said that he "would be happy to co-sponsor" these three important pieces of legislation. We hit the TRIFECTA!

There is more work to be done and I look forward to continuing to press for American leadership in the fight against global poverty and disease. But when the day comes that we can celebrate victories on critical legislation like the Global Child Survival Act, I hope you'll remember that it was the good work of ONE members taking action early and often that made it all possible.

After Nigeria, we bolted for the airport and skipped across the tarmac to our awaiting white albatross for the short flight to Mali, where we were joined by OXFAM representatives who took us out into the countryside to meet village farmers who are growing commercial and organic cotton.

This was my favorite part of the trip, with the women farmers dressed in bright vibrant clothes alongside men, sharing their stories of economic diversification and the difference the cotton crops were making in their lives. Bono presented the village elders a gift of cola nuts, and in return, they gave him some of the locally grown cotton and a Make Poverty History shirt that had been made with the cotton grown with their own hands.

We all sat under a large shade tree as the midday sun beat down upon the village and shared stories and learned the hardships of drought and water shortages on their lives. As if heaven sent, shortly thereafter a rain cloud emerged and the children began running through the fields with buckets and other home made water spouts to collect the rain water for drinking. I started to realize how fortunate we are in our country that we are to be able to turn on the tap and drink fresh water while here they are extremely dependent on these rains and the four deep wells that have been dug nearby. They are incredibly strong people who survive under the harshest conditions. The cotton they grow helps feed their families and put their children in school but it is the rain that provides life in its most basic form.

We shook hands and waved good bye and headed off into the afternoon, impressed by this village's tenacity and ability to survive and actually thrive under these conditions. Amazing.